Local restaurateur Peter Kim is using robots to deliver food from kitchen to tables at his two Oz Korean BBQ restaurants in Sacramento and Elk Grove.
Each restaurant has two of the Chinese-made BellaBots, which move autonomously through the restaurant, avoiding obstacles and people using spacial awareness sensors.
“They are working pretty well. We’re working the kinks out,” Kim said.
The restaurants tested them for a couple of weeks, and then decided to keep them.
Oz Korean has a full menu as well as an all-you-can-eat option, so there is a lot of back-and-forth travel from the kitchen to the floor, Kim said.
The robots have four trays, which can be loaded with food in the kitchen. They're programmed to deliver specific plates to specific tables.
The robots charge overnight, which is good for a 12-hour shift, and Kim said he runs them all day long.
The robots haven’t displaced any employees at the restaurants. They have helped with staffing, however, because they always show up, which isn’t the case for employees in these days of pandemic. They also mean that fewer people are walking around the floor.
“It’s a good tool. They are reliable,” Kim said.
The robot’s screen is reminiscent of a cartoon cat, which gives the bot some character, and kids seem to be excited by robots moving through the restaurant, Kim said.
Oz Korean BBQ opened its Bradshaw Road location in 2004 and a second location in Elk Grove eight years ago. Each of the restaurants has 80 employees.
BellaBots are made by Shenzhen, China-based Pudu Robotics. They list for around $20,000 each, though they can be leased.
Kim said he isn't using the robots to clear tables, because he doesn't want them to carry dirty dishes for sanitary reasons.
