By Tyler Wright
Most visitors at Olinda Tea House & Restaurant’s modern fusion dining experience are enjoying the robotic server introduced about six months ago.
Restaurant owner Tony Qian said the robot increases efficiency as there is a shortage of hospitality workers in the Dandenong Ranges.
“From the cost effective side, it’s much cheaper,” Mr Qian said.
“A human being can only take one dish or maybe two [from the kitchen to a table],” he said.
“But the robot can take four or eight at the same time.”
This comes as restaurants throughout Victoria employ robotic workers to combat staff shortages due to the pandemic, including Dodee Paidang Thai Bar and Cafe in Melbourne’s Central Business District.
Worker stability in the hospitality industry has been precarious, with a recent $6.7 million initiative funded by the Victorian Government dedicated to hospitality training for jobseekers to fill worker shortages.
“When we ask customers ‘do you like being served by the robot?’ there are 99 per cent that say yes, and one per cent that are ‘maybe not,’ Mr Qian said.
But there are some who are hesitant on the new technology, needing a little nudge to get involved.
“Once they see the robot serving other tables, the rest of the people say ‘oh, let’s do the robot’.”
The staff member has multiple functions, and Mr Qian said it can be used for celebrations at Olinda Tea House.
“Normally what we do is connect the Bluetooth to the speaker and play the birthday song,” he said.
“Now we just click one button on the robot and the robot can take all the jobs.”
Mr Qian would like to see this technology used by other businesses, but has been too busy to spread the word.
“I would like to introduce this to other businesses” Mr Qian said.
“We also sell it as well.”
