Thai restaurant employs robot waiters to combat Aussie staff shortages
With staff shortages across the country, a handful of restaurants are turning to more futuristic methods to cover busy shifts.
A Melbourne Thai restaurant has just employed a new waiter called Bella - with a cybernetic twist.
Bella works every day without a break, and costs the restaurant just $48 to keep on the books.
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Well, at least that's how much it costs the owner to keep Bella running.
Bellabot is the latest in a line of robotic workers, taking over restaurants in the midst of worker shortages in Victoria.
As Melbourne came out of its most recent COVID-19 lockdown, owner of Dodee Paidang Thai Bar and Cafe, Boon Low, signed up for the latest in robotic technology to help keep his restaurant running.
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Mr Low told A Current Affair, due to the lack of international students coming into the country he was forced to think outside the box when it came to staff.
"We used to operate lunch to dinner seven days a week, and we find that being more and more difficult, not just finding people but making it worthwhile for us," he said.
"Bella's been working with us for three weeks, and we've got Gigi, (another robot) as well."
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Bellabot is the best you can buy when it comes to robot workers.
For a two-year lease she'll cost restaurants just under $48 per day but at the end of the lease, they'll get to keep their new workers permanently.
Tim Piper from the Australian Industry Group said the easiest solution to worker drought is to open up and let backpackers and international students back in.
"We need to fix it by getting backpackers in, we need to get international students back and we need to get locals back working. They're the three areas we need to reintroduce and encourage," Mr Piper said.
Mr Piper said while it's all fun right now, the idea of robot waiters may not stick around forever.
"It'll be a fun thing for a period of time, but you really want that personal touch, don't you?" he said.
