Memphis-Based Mexican Restaurant Finds Answer To Staff Shortage In Robotic Servers

Many restaurants are still trying to navigate staff shortages following the impact of the pandemic. In addition to reduced employment, the American landscape is rife with unionization efforts, pushing many restaurant owners towards automation.  As such, it’s still unclear whether there’s a middle ground between unionization and automation. The simple truth of it all is that, no matter which way you lean,  sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

According to Action News 5, Memphis, Tennessee-based El Porton did just that when faced with a staff shortage. During lunch hours, the rush is hectic, often overwhelming servers. To help out, El Porton rolled out a pair of cute, completely harmless robots called Bellabots. “We got these robots three months ago. They help bring the food out to the table and they entertain the customers,” said Courtney Riddell, an El Porton server. 

Each day the Bellabots serve customers, bringing food and even singing Happy Birthday. So far, the reception has been great. “I thought it was a great experience. Bella is a nice addition to the restaurant,” said customer Buz Smith. While another customer named Orlando Harris shared, “I didn’t expect a robot to just come out of nowhere and deliver my food, and it was nice.“

As previously mentioned, the restaurant industry is still getting back on its feet. The National Restaurant Association reports that more than 6 in 10 restaurants are short-staffed, 63% of operators say they don’t have enough staff to support customer demands, and 79% of restaurant operators report difficulty filling job openings. Suffice to say, automation is not only helpful, it’s inevitable.

El Porton’s servers even enjoy the Bellabots. “We can interact with [the robot’s] customers a lot better because she’s running the food and we don’t have to stop with our customer to go get food, and the food doesn’t get cold,” said Riddell.