Hollerbach’s German restaurant in Sanford is testing a robotic food runner called BellaBot during busy periods. The automated unit carries orders along a programmed route from the kitchen to the Lodge bar area, where a bartender unloads the trays before taking food to guests.
Owner Theo Hollerbach said the restaurant’s kitchen sits about 150 feet from the bar, and the goal is to keep bartenders and servers closer to customers rather than sending them back and forth for orders. He described the robot as a companion to the restaurant’s existing elevator system, which moves food up to the rooftop bar.
The restaurant had used BellaBot for three days when the report was published. Hollerbach said it is particularly intended to help during rush periods, when the walk between the kitchen and bar can add pressure for staff handling several responsibilities.
Hollerbach’s is paying $600 per month to use the robot, a cost the owner said compares favorably with hiring a part-time runner for limited peak-hour shifts. The restaurant plans to test BellaBot for three months, including through Oktoberfest and other upcoming events. Source: ClickOrlando.
