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Businesses all over the country are struggling to find new employees amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
One California restaurant was so short-staffed that they had to bring in a robot to ease their workload.
"It is a lifesaver. You know, it helps us bring out all of the food," Ana Ortiz, General Manager of Sugar Mediterranean Bistro in Stockon told CBS13. "The table that is closest to the patio, I press ‘go’ and it will take it right out.”
With workers unwilling to take minimum wage jobs and new risks of getting sick, owners like Ortiz have found themselves struggling with returning crowds.
“It is exhausting. It is exhausting, but thank goodness our customers are really good. We haven’t had any complaints,” she said.
The restaurant robot has helped lighten the load on her employees who are currently acting as servers and bartenders.
“It makes sense for us right now because of the shortage of employees. This is the only solution we’re finding,” said Ortiz.
Customers will still be able to interact with human workers while they dine. The robot just saves everyone time by taking the food straight from the kitchen to a designated area until a sever can pick it up.
“No, we don’t want to give that up," said Ortiz. "We love to see our people. We love to see their faces. We love to see them happy and after a while, they become family to us."