The View Cafe and Bar, located in Portland’s Heights hotel in Dorset, has welcomed a new member to its waiting staff: Bella, a state-of-the-art robot waitress designed to elevate the dining experience. Pudu, a Shanghai-based Chinese technology company, created Bella. When she is behind the bar and serving customers, she offers a character-filled combination of speed and showmanship.
Bella carries 55 kilos (121 pounds) and glides through the cafe at speeds and in a manner that makes one take notice. It’s equipped with NVIDIA’s Obstacle Avoidance technology. This means that it can move around customers and furniture with precision and safety like a pro. Bella’s skills extend far beyond basic service. Together with its friendly suggestions for cakes, it can belt out “Happy Birthday” at a party and even joke with customers by responding, “Whoa, your hands are super warm,” when touched.
The robot took its first full bow after passing a test run in 2022 at Bella Italia. Mr. Mike Deadman, who brought Bella’s technology to Portland, promises Portlanders that this new robotic assistant won’t kill a single job. He focuses on the emotional benefits it’s going to bring to the employees. Rather, he thinks Bella will improve the service experience at The View Cafe and Bar overall.
“I think [Bella] will complement existing services but I certainly don’t think it’ll replace the human touch,” said Deadman. He added that “our recruitment process is as active as ever and it’s simply supplemented” by technology like Bella.
Funding Bella Bella retails for slightly less than £9000. This hefty price tag is indicative of our intentionality around improving customer experiences at the cafe. Bella brings customers back to an era where dining was an experience, with a modern flair. She features the uplifting trend of deploying robotics in hospitality industries across the globe.