Bella is just the latest in high-tech robot waitress. She’s just come onboard at The View Cafe and Bar on Portland’s HEIGHTS hotel in Dorset. Pudu, a Chinese robotics manufacturer, created Bella to help serve customers and increase customer engagement. This innovative robot provides a memorable and entertaining dining experience that combines technology with hospitality.
Bella’s current weight is 55kg (121lbs). She’s been trained to prepare and serve the food and drinks as well as communicate with guests. Most impressively, she can sing “Happy Birthday,” bringing an extra special touch to birthdays and other celebrations. Her interactive capabilities go so far as to responding to human touch with lines like, “Gee, your hands are nice and warm.” This combination of utility and character is meant to help establish a friendly vibe for guests.
Powered by cutting-edge obstacle avoidance technology, Bella whizzes through the cafe with elegance and efficiency. She sails through the dining area, checking in on tables, making sure customers are getting their food out in an open area. Bella comes to the cafe after winning a pop-up trial at Bella Italia in 2022. That experiment opened our eyes to the cool things robotic assistance can bring to the hospitality industry.
This got Mike Deadman, assistant manager of The View Cafe and Bar, to think about bringing in Bella. Having encountered similar technologies in cafes and restaurants overseas, that trip is where his idea was born. He is looking at how Bella can improve the customer experience as a whole rather than replacing human jobs.
“I think [Bella] will complement existing services but I certainly don’t think it’ll replace the human touch,” – Mike Deadman
Bella’s introduction marks the latest step in a movement to bring more robotics into the food service industry. Even with fears about job displacement, Deadman promises that Bella will not result in any layoffs for existing staff. Instead, her role is intended to support and streamline operations, allowing human staff to focus on more personalized customer interactions.
Bella has poured almost £9,000 back into The View Cafe and Bar. This move greatly increases the establishment’s expertise and commitment to new technology, bettering its service. Visitors to the cafe can look forward to an adventurous and delicious food experience. This one-of-a-kind experience merges time-honored hospitality with cutting-edge robotics.