Meet the robot waiter, a new trend at Paducas in São Paulo. See pictures of how it works

You call the waiter, place your order and wait. Shortly thereafter, another employee approaches — this time on wheels and with an illuminated display — and announces: “Your order has arrived. Please remove it.” He thanks them, dodging customers along the way and returns alone to the pantry, where it is restocked with new dishes.

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With GPS mapping of the lounge, you’ll know exactly where to go and even return to base to recharge at the end of your shift. The next day, he shows up on time and says, “I’ve started my shift.”

This is the new co-worker of the flesh-and-blood waiters at a bakery in São Paulo: a robot. Their presence is increasing in cafes, bakeries and restaurants, and they help compensate for the labor shortage in the food sector.

“There is no overtime, there is no absence, there is no sick day and there is no sick note,” he says of his new employee, businessman Silas Lacerda, owner of 11 cafés in Bras, in São Paulo.

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See photos below for how to serve.

Robots waiting for service – Photo: María Isabel de Oliveira

employee "Humans" He places orders on a waiter’s tray – Photo: María Isabel de Oliveira/Agência O Globo — A “humane” employee places orders on the waiter’s tray – Photo: María Isabel de Oliveira/Agência O Globo

If necessary, an adjustment is made "He walks". In this case, it was a choice "Soft start" — Photo: María Isabel de Oliveira/O Globo Agency — If necessary, an adjustment is made to the “walk”. In this case, the option was “soft departure” – Photo: María Isabel de Oliveira/Agência O Globo

The robot follows its path to the customer's table. Allows GPS mapping of the hall "employee" On the wheels they roll smoothly — Photo: María Isabel de Oliveira/Agência O Globo — The robot follows its path to the customer’s table. GPS mapping of the hall allows the “employee” on wheels to move around without any problems – Photo: María Isabel de Oliveira/Agência O Globo

The order is delivered to the customer's table – Photo: María Isabel Oliveira/Agência O Globo — The order is delivered to the customer’s table – Photo: María Isabel Oliveira/Agência O Globo

Difficulty recruiting

The labor shortage has led companies to… Food service And retail to turn to technology to be able to handle customer service in stores. In the context of historically low unemployment, employers report difficulty not only attracting new employees, but also retaining those they manage to hire, especially younger ones.

Most do not require face-to-face work and a six-day-a-week schedule. Another problem is the lack of potential for career development, in addition to the usually low pay.

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Lacerda and Luis Ferreira, partner in Villa Grano Bakery, have invested in service robots and professionals over the age of 50 to assist employees on a daily basis. The former plans to expand its army of machines from just one to 20 by the end of 2026, while the latter is investing in three robots worth R$92,000 each.

A “humanitarian” employee on complex tasks

Ferreira says that his team of three robots began working only three months ago, as a solution to alleviate the routine of attendees. Previously, waiters had to clean tables, collect plates and cups, take everything to the kitchen, take orders and deliver them to customers.

Now, robots move trays and utensils between the salon and the pantry, speeding up service and allowing employees to focus on more complex tasks, such as direct service and order checking.

The machines can also take orders from several tables at once. Today, there are only three attendants per shift to serve up to 120 seated clients. The businessman says this was the last alternative.

-We’ve tried everything. We have a basic food basket, and we provide two meals a day. Nowadays we are hiring people over fifty. If we schedule interviews with 50 people, only five will show up.

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According to him, there were 20 vacancies for two years. During this period, they hired employees, but most of them did not stay for more than a couple of months. Staff shortages forced the bakery to cut back on the menu:

— What sells less we cut. Some things we buy from factory.

Silas Lacerda invested R$70,000 in a robot for Better Café. The machine, according to him, performs the work of two employees. To try to retain people, the businessman created a bonus system and began charging attendants a service fee, practically doubling salaries.

However, he points out that the biggest challenge lies with the younger generation, who do not show much interest in direct jobs and communicating with the public.

-This generation is very instant. Social networks bother me by offering fake things. They are also quiet and do not communicate. The customer needs to communicate.

“Five or six searches a day,” says the supplier.

Marcelo Oliveira, partner at robot supplier Kratus, says the company has expanded its headcount to meet growing demand for customer service robots.

– Before I have to call clients. Now I get five or six searches a day.

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According to him, bakeries are the main buyers, but the company also supplies robots to restaurants, factories, hospitals and even hotels. In all cases, the reason given by customers is the same: lack of labor.

– We’ve already seen this trend of robots there. In Asia, it’s very normal. We brought in the robots, trained the team, and started talking with some slides. We never imagined that this manpower shortage would be such a pain.

Kratos has even received orders from outside São Paulo, but the businessman prefers to prioritize the state to ensure support and guidance for human employees, who need to learn to work alongside machines. The cost of the robots ranges between R$70,000 and R$120,000, depending on the model and function.

Lucas Assis, CEO of Synkar, another robot manufacturer, explains that the company’s solution is aimed at logistics and internal movement in distribution centers (DCs).

– We carried out a pilot at Das Clinicas Hospital in Ribeirão Preto, and in five working days, our robot saved professionals more than ten hours of work. The feedback is that the specialists are able to focus on the patient and leave the logistical tasks to the machines.

The worker walked 20 kilometers a day

He recalls that automation has become essential in developing countries, where workers can walk up to 20 kilometers a day.

– There has been growth in e-commerce during the pandemic. This requires a lot of delivery and sorting workers… but it is not a desirable job, and has little career potential. This leads to a very high turnover rate.