Colorado restaurant using 'robot server' to help staff amid worker shortage
Tom's Watch Bar in Denver recently started using the new technology, but it's not meant to replace people.
DENVER, Co. (KABC) -- A Colorado restaurant has a futuristic solution to its labor shortage problem: a robot server.
Tom's Watch Bar in Denver recently started using the new technology, but it's not meant to replace people.
The robot server is there just to help when things get busy.
"It's completely different than what we have here in the U.S.," said Refik Turkanovich, the operating partner at Tom's Watch Bar. "It's definitely capable of going from one station to the next, delivering dishes, delivering food, if necessary, and then going back to its home station."
Turkanovic said like many restaurants throughout the city, he and his staff are having a tough time finding workers. Plus, when you add in the amount of business coming in due to the Stanley Cup games, the restaurant needs help.
"We did this just to help alleviate some of the labor pressure," he said.
On standing room only days at the restaurant, the robot will be put to work.
"We have pretty strict ADA regulations, and that robot essentially follows that lane," said Turkanovic. "It has great maneuvering capabilities."
The next time the restaurant sees a full house, food and drinks may come courtesy of the bar's newest "robot" employee, which doesn't have a name yet, but employees are working on that.
