Love it or hate it, restaurant robots are coming to New Jersey

How would you feel going to a restaurant and being served by a robot?

Whether you like the idea or not, this may start happening in New Jersey sooner than you think.

With the Garden State labor shortage continuing and salaries for servers going up a growing number of eateries are considering the idea of leasing or buying a restaurant robot.

According to Dan Rivkees, the marketing manager for Advanced Hospitality Systems in Voorhees, the restaurant robot allows restaurateurs to free up their serving staff and increase speed of service.

A robot brings you your dinner

He said once you place your order, either with a human being or by using your phone to scan a QR code at the table, the meal is prepared by the kitchen staff and when it is done “they put the food on the correct tray and then once you press go on the top of the robot then goes to those exact table number.”

The guest then removes their tray of food and presses the OK button, and the robot will then leave to either deliver more food or return to the kitchen.

This might seem a bit impersonal but Rivkees says “when the robot goes to a table it does speak to the customer, the robot is programmable with 10 plus languages.”

He said if a plate is particularly large or heavy the restaurant may send a human being over to assist in unloading the food.

What happens if the order gets screwed up?

Rivkees said if your receive the wrong dish “or you would like ketchup or a side of mayonnaise, for example, we still recommend having a wait staff member there at the business and they can help out the client.”

He said another option would be for the customer to write a note about the mix-up, and send the robot back to the kitchen with it.

He said most restaurant customers, including children, seem to love interacting with a robot.

“They like that it is something that other restaurants in the area are not doing,” he said.

What does the restaurant robot cost?

Rivkees said there are 6 restaurant robot models, and the lower-end T6 model goes for $208 a month.

“It is a tool to help restaurants, especially in the current hospitality environment, really take control of their operations and it provides guests with a futuristic restaurant experience," he said.

After a restaurant order a robot, the entire layout of the eatery and the table configurations are programmed into the robot, which uses a multiple guidance system, including sonar, to get around and not crash into anybody.

Advanced Hospitality Systems has only just started distributing restaurant robots, and the first restaurant to get one is Zaika BBQ & Grill in Edison.

The company that produces the restaurant robots is Keenon Robotics.

You can see a video of a restaurant robot here.

David Matthau is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at david.matthau@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.