‘Gotta be quicker than that buddy’: Robot server at Denny’s scurries away with customers’ food

Robots are taking over the food service industry. From robot bartenders to AI-powered drive-thru machines to fully automated restaurants, it seems that no part of the food service process is immune from the gradual transition to a robotic workforce.

That said, there have been some issues along the way. Some cases of "smart" drive-thru machines being not very smart at all have gone viral, and several users have expressed discomfort at the possibility of robots taking wage-earning jobs that people may need to survive.

That has not stopped companies from going forward with the robotic takeover, however. One such company is Denny’s, which announced in November 2021 that it would be employing robot servers owing to a partnership with Bear Robotics.

Now, a video of an interaction with one of these robot servers has gone viral. 

@caitlyn5kids This is too funny!!! #dennys #robotic #fyp #breakfast #momsoftiktok #mom #grandma #grandpa #date #food #eat #gottabequickerthanthat #foryourpage #foryou #foryoupage #funny #humor #pointless #viral #tiktok #4u #fyp #family #live #love #dude #wtf #giveittome ♬ Quicker - LOM Rudy

In a video with over 1 million views, TikTok user Caitlyn (@caitlyn5kids) shares a video from a Denny’s location that she claims was sent to her by her mother. In the video, a robot named Sunny arrives with several dishes, leading to confusion among the guests.

“Do you just take it?” asks one of the guests before slowly removing a plate.

As the guest reaches for their second plate, Sunny simply states “Enjoy” before continuing on its way.

“Oh, you almost had it! You’ve gotta be quicker than that,” says another guest at the table.

It’s unclear how Sunny, a Servi robot from Bear Robotics, determines when it’s time to pull away from the table. Bear Robotics did not immediately respond to Daily Dot’s request for comment about how the robots are controlled, though their website says that the machine has internal weight sensors to know when a delivery has been completed. The website also claims that the robot is “100% Self-Driving” using “an advanced LiDar sensor and multiple cameras.”

Back on TikTok, some users joked about the situation in the comments.

“Still better service than I've ever received at Dennys,” laughed a commenter.

“I was exactly like this when I waitressed the overnight shift at Dennys,” recalled another.

“Sunny ain’t got no time for slow pokes, she got orders to get out,” shared a third.

However, the conversation soon turned into a discussion about robot waiters in general.

Some were positive about the prospect of being served by robots.

“I kinda love this! I don't want to associate with anyone at this point,” claimed one user.

“Nobody to complain about tips,” added a second.

Others were less excited about the idea.

“If I’m getting served by a robot then I’m not going to Dennys anymore,” alleged a user.

“Our waitress was almost crying when they were testing these,” recalled an additional commenter. “she's worked there for 20 years without having to worry about job security till now.”

“I really miss the interactions with people! A lot of people are going to be out of work,” offered a further TikToker.

The Daily Dot reached out to Bear Robotics via phone and contact form, Denny’s via media contact form, and Caitlyn via email.

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The post ‘Gotta be quicker than that buddy’: Robot server at Denny’s scurries away with customers’ food appeared first on The Daily Dot.

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