7 US Restaurants Where A Robot Will Serve Your Meal

In recent years, a revolution has been under way that has taken place unnoticed: the rise of robot waiters. What was a novelty a few years ago seen at tech shows and sci-fi concept restaurants is now appearing in ordinary restaurants throughout the United States. Equipped with sensors, trays, and even sometimes animated "faces," robot servers cruise from table to table delivering food and drinks with a speed and consistency that are difficult for human servers to match. While they're not replacing old-fashioned waiters entirely, they're a common sight in some types of establishments. 

East Asian restaurants have been among the pioneers to introduce robotic servers. Sushi bars, hot pot establishments, and dim sum parlors have welcomed robotic servers as an efficient device as well as a marketing draw. In high-volume dining areas, the machines can relieve human staff, traveling back and forth with dishes so servers can focus on individuals. This blended system combines the human touch of hospitality with the precision of machinery. 

Among the lures, of course, is novelty. Shoppers enjoy the display of a robot approaching their table, maybe accompanied by a beam of bright music or scripted phrases. Facebook posts of robot servers tend to turn viral and get restaurants free publicity if they wish to be heard in a crowded marketplace. As the technology becomes more affordable and more customized to demand, it is likely restaurant after restaurant will experiment with robot waiters, turning a one-time futuristic fantasy into a mundane part of dining out.

Hanu Korean BBQ, in the Grand Spa LA building in Koreatown, has incorporated robot servers into the dining space as part of its effort to reduce service and staff problems. In 2022, the restaurant invested in two serving robots by Navia Robotics, which travel not only the main dining room floor but also the patio, doors, and ramps. 

The robots carry side dishes, soups, portions of meat, and the many banchan trays Korean barbecue restaurants are renowned for. One of the reasons for installing the robots was because of unpredictable changes in traffic, especially during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, which rendered staffing consistently difficult. By delivering food to tables through robots, Hanu Koreak BBQ told Food Service Equipment reports that it has reduced labor overheads and eased pressure on its human waiters, particularly during busy evening hours when orders for refilling and delivering small plates are at their peak. 

Staff members took a few months to adjust to working with the robots at first, but the machines are now regarded as essential to the business. There's also a definite novelty element. Children, particularly, are obviously delighted with the rolling robots delivering trays of banchan, and customers often mention the robots as one of the features that make Hanu Korean BBQ cutting edge and fun. Combining that novelty with real utility has allowed Hanu K BBQ to thrive in a saturated barbecue market without sacrificing any of the human elements.

hanukbbq.com

2999 W 6th St #104, Los Angeles, CA 90020

(213) 738-7370

At Lynnwood, Washington's Sushi Hana, robotics is woven into the heart of the dining experience—one of the more vivid examples being in the guise of an automated server called "Peanut," who delivers drinks like water to customers' tables, without expecting tips. 

Peanut is about four feet high, with sensors and cameras to prevent running into customers and other objects. The robot even sings a little song (as it arrives) to cue customers to the presence of diners for safety. Besides Peanut, the restaurant has a "monorail" sushi delivery system: Dishes are ordered through a touch-screen tablet per table, food is delivered from the kitchen along a rail directly to tables. In the kitchen, robots also assist with preparation work, such as machines that roll rice balls for nigiri and tools that help shape sheets for rolls. 

Owner Sarah Lee told Seattle NBC affiliate, King 5, that these technologies reduce contact, speed service, and cover post-pandemic labor shortages. They also bring some entertainment that appeals to families and tech-savvy diners. While still handled by human chefs, the primary cooking and finishing touches — the fresh sushi, hot plates, the creativity is retained — these robots give human staff more time to manage hospitality. 

sushihana5.com

18500 33rd Ave W Ste A, Lynnwood, WA 98037

(425) 582-0322

Pho 21's robot servers are a draw that certainly bring in some attention. The robots not only carry drinks like milk tea and boba but also pho trays, side dishes, and appetizers, freeing up human servers to focus more on guest interaction. This novelty seems to distinguish Pho 21 from an overcrowded Vietnamese "mom and pop" establishment you see in many metropolitan cities, particularly when the restaurant's operating hours are considered. Pho 21 is open until 2:00 AM, which makes it one of the only places in San Jose where late-night pho can be tracked down. The late nights, coupled with robot servers whizzing around, give it utility, a touch of futurism. 

Pho 21 meshes novelty and convenience through combining a comforting Vietnamese menu, nighttime hours, and robot servers. It doesn't rely on robots to replace human service workers entirely but uses them to introduce pieces of service in a way that dazzles consumers and helps to keep things efficient during busy shifts.

An odd incident at the restaurant put the significance of the robot servers into focus. Per reporting from ABC 7, just before opening, one of Pho 21's three robot servers was almost stolen by robbers. The machine has been reportedly valued around $18,000 USD, although owner Tony Ngo said that the serving robot would be useless if taken away from the restaurant because it needs special programming to run efficiently. Despite this, however, the robot was recovered safely and went right back to work. 

https://www.instagram.com/pho21sanjose/

2569 S King Rd, San Jose, CA 95122

(669) 275-9099

Another restaurant that's embraced automation in order to marry spectacle and service is Kura Sushi in Tampa. There features a robot that will serve you, named Kur-B, the KuraBot. Servers or kitchen staff load beverage orders onto Kur-B and the robot traverses the dining space to deliver drinks to customers. 

This robot delivery is positioned as something more than simply utilitarian; it adds a sense of playfulness to the meal. The service of food is automated too. Sushi plates circulate around the diners on a conveyor belt. Other dishes that are ordered via a tablet at the table are served via a "sushi highway" or "express belt" that runs from the kitchen out to the tables; this reduces wait time and maintains a steady variety. 

All sushi plates on the belt fall under a dome named "Mr Fresh," which tracks how long goods are on the belt using RFID tags to aid in keeping products fresh. There is a tablet on every table for ordering, and a disposal slot for plates. When plates are complete, the patrons place them into the slot. Once a quantity of plates has been cleared, the system displays animations on the tablet, and after 15 or more plates the table might be rewarded with a low-value prize through the "Bikkura Pon" prize system. 

Although duties are mainly mechanized, human staff are still substantial. Servers welcome patrons, arrange seating, respond to queries, carry out special orders not choreographed by belts or machines, and keep the dining area hospitable.

kurasushi.com

214 Westshore Plaza C-39, Tampa, FL 33609

(813) 534-0770

Presenting itself as an AYCE (all-you-can-eat), North Carolina's Shinjuku Station is a revolving sushi bar that combines conveyor belt and robot delivery. The restaurant made headlines in a matter of months after opening with the hiring of two robot staff to supplement human waiters. The robots help carry food and drinks to tables, relieving servers of some of the burden during peak hours. Inside, patrons are given plates of sushi on a belt that goes around customers so they can pick and choose what they'd like as the plates pass by. 

For specially ordered food through a tablet or menu system, delivery robots complete the kitchen-to-table path, supplementing the human servers and other belt-drawn robots. Novelty is what makes it sell. Both locals and media highlight how the robot workers are a draw, especially in a dining market where technology gimmicks can differentiate a location. Shinjuku Station is marketing the use of AI robots and "tech-driven" sushi as a brand differentiator. 

The union of turntable sushi, order taking via tablets, and robot delivery is designed to enhance interaction, notoriety, and speed in dining. These robotic systems notwithstanding, human staff remain at the center of it all by helping to seat, respond to customers' inquiries, take special orders, and monitor the robots.

shinjukusushi.com

5835 Samet Dr, High Point, NC 27265

(336) 885-9672

La Autentica, located in Hickory, North Carolina, has implemented technology to enhance its dining experience too, with the use of a robot server named BellaBot. The robot supports waiters by delivering food and drinks to tables — leaving human servers to focus on other aspects of customer service that are sometimes abandoned. The use of BellaBot has been well-received by customers, and reviews signal the novelty and convenience of robotics. Reviewers have even shared that the robot has helped sing-a-long "Happy Birthday."

The fusion of conventional hospitality and contemporary technology gives a distinctive dining experience that (unlike with some ultra-tech-heavy restaurants) generates some local interest without fundamentally altering the way the restaurant operates. 

BellaBot offers a little bit of enjoyment and streamlining, but the majority of interaction and service remains in the hands of human servers who can refocus their attentions. Arriving loaded with specialties like chile poblano or burritos con barbacoa, BellaBot also delivers an amusing sideshow for customers as it chatters and chimes with music.

la-autentica.res

1350 US-321, Hickory, NC 28601

(828) 569-1080

A Korean barbecue eatery that's incorporated robotic waitstaff into the dining experience is Arirang K, in Johns Creek, Georgia. The Korean barbecue, which opened in June 2022, currently uses four LG CLOi ServeBots as robotic foodrunners that assist waiters with bringing food and drinks to tables. The robots feature shelves that can hold over 20 pounds each and can move independently throughout the dining area to deliver orders to assigned tables. 

The introduction of these robots has been greeted enthusiastically by customers and staff. General manager Miok Kim told The Spoon that the first two robots proved so popular that two more were added so that all customers could take advantage of the robotic service. Staff has reportedly said that they welcome the assistance of the robots, particularly in pushing heavy and hot trays, which allows them to devote more attention to the customers. 

While the robots do specific work, the human staff are still very much a part of the restaurant operation. Servers still handle seating, order taking, and customer service and have a smooth and efficient system of operation.

arirangkbbq.com

7775 McGinnis Ferry Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30024

(678) 694-8832