Restaurants here in Rhode Island and all over the United States are having a major problem with labor shortages. They can't find enough workers, so at least one eatery in Texas has found an AI solution. La Duni restaurant in Dallas now employs three robot workers!
The bots named Alexcita, Panchita and Coqueta work as a hostess and servers, wheeling around the restaurant holding trays and carrying food to diners. And don't worry these little guys aren't replacing human workers. Taco Borga, who is one of the co-owners of the restaurant said, “They’re not taking anybody’s job, because no one is showing up. What they are doing is helping the ones who are really working.”
Borga says each robot costs him about $8 to $10 a day, and since the average worker at his restaurant makes at least $10 an hour each, he's saving thousands of dollars every month. It's great for his human workers as well. Because the bots are doing some of the tasks, each live server can wait more tables and make more money in tips.
The droid workers have “cartoon faces projected on screens,” and they'll even sing “Happy Birthday” to customers and give them compliments. It sounds like the world of The Jetsons is here! Ok...now where is my flying car?
Photo: Getty Images