Between the now-banned delivery robots that were roaming the streets during the pandemic and the self-driving Teslas that have drivers asleep behind the wheel, robots have started to take over the world—or, Toronto, at least. Now you can even find one serving your steins and burgers at a local Eglinton pub.
With a sunny patio out front and the cozy fireplace inside, The Abbot on Eglinton offers a casual, homey feel that encourages you to lay back and relax. And the servers can, too, when their bussing and food-running robot is on shift.
Her name is BellaBot (Bella for short) and she’s been employed at The Abbot for about five months, says (human) server and bartender, Nicole Dikeos. “She’s actually been here longer than I have.”
Sleekly designed to look like a bionic cat, BellaBot is a delivery robot designed by Pudu, a tech-focused enterprise based out of China. According to Pudu’s website, BellaBot has “superior human-Robot capabilities.” Standing just over four feet tall, she’s made up of four trays for loading dishes and a touch screen for a face that’s complete with big circle eyes and lines for whiskers.
According to Dikeos, Bella has the floorplan of The Abbot programmed into her memory so all the servers have to do is load her up with the plates of food and tell her the table number to go to. Then Dikeos serves the plates to the customers, and once the guests are done eating, Bella helps clean up.
“We can load stuff onto her,” says Dikeos, “and then she’ll drive it back to the kitchen if we have a busy night, and then we’ll just go unload the dishes at the kitchen. It saves us from having to run back and forth.”
But, she’s not just a pretty face and a helpful hand. “She’s interactive. You can scratch her ear and she’ll either say ‘stop touching me’ or ‘that feels good or ‘that’s itchy.’”
According to Dikeos, kids who visit the restaurant love making Bella purr, and she’s been a big draw for bringing families into the pub.
But, Dikeos says, not everyone is a fan. “It’s kind of a little creepy to some people. Like she’s very cute. But again, she talks, and she has a very high pitched voice and she’ll laugh. So, it’s a little disconcerting at first until you get used to her.”
As a co-worker, Dikeos has few complaints with the robot. “She’s a little slow,” she admits. “Honestly that’s the only design flaw that I can think of—that sometimes you’re stuck walking behind her for a bit. But other than that, you know, she’s great for customers, and brings in a lot of business. So we’re happy with her.”
With BellaBots being employed across the country from St. Johns to Victoria, could this be the future of restaurant serving?