Situated in one of Atlanta’s wealthiest neighborhoods, Wing Factory in Buckhead serves up a slew of feel-good fried foods. When hungry guests stop by, they know they can order wings that are spicy, extra crispy, and, of course — lemon-peppery.
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Inside the restaurant is a tribute to Atlanta’s sports teams. Sportscasts celebrating big wins and mourning devastating losses are broadcast on mounted TVs. Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta Braves, Falcons, and Hawks memorabilia hang on walls. Old-timey Coca-Cola artwork fills the spaces in between.
But an unexpected object stands in the corner of the restaurant: A robot. And it’s not just there for show. This robot works at Wing Factory, serving food, clearing dirty dishes, and greeting customers.
Over the last three years, Wing Factory’s owner Michael Giovine had challenges finding reliable employees. He says people will take a job and then stop showing up or quit shortly after. Something needed to change, but Giovine didn’t have a solution, until he discovered robot servers. And he’s not alone: Amid labor shortages, restaurants across the US are now employing robots alongside human waiters.
Robots wanted: ‘Now hiring’
A regular customer who works in the robotics industry told Glovine about a robotics company that manufactures food-serving robots, piquing his interest. Although he first pictured Wing Factory having a back-of-house robot that could work the fryers, he was excited about the idea of a robot server, too. With his business feeling the burn of extensive labor shortages, Giovine took a chance.
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“I feel like initially, when I was talking to the robotics guy years ago, I thought it would be cool to have a robot just to have, but post-COVID and since I’ve got it, it is definitely helping our labor issue,” he says. “100%.”
Giovine’s experience with high employee turnover isn’t unique. Across the country, quit rates in the food and beverage industry are higher than in any other industry, according to the US Chamber of Commerce.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic,…