A new seafood outlet in Delaware has taken restaurant technology to a new level by adding five robots to its front of house staff.
Robot Captain Crabs Cajun Seafood, which opened in June and is located near Newark, is one of the first US restaurants to use robots as hosts and food runners, working alongside human staff.
The machines cost $20,000 a piece, are four feet tall and can ‘talk’ to customers and carry food to tables.
When not greeting customers, the robots automatically roll towards charging stations, meaning they are never likely to run out of battery while on shift.
They were imported from China, where similar robots are already in use in various restaurants and cafes.
And according to reports, the reaction so far has been positive.
John Soysal, the restaurant’s general manager, telling Delaware Online: “Kids love it. They’re taking photos. Adults are amazed.”
There are currently five robots working at the restaurant– two ‘hostesses’ named Shirley and Calli, and three ‘food runners’ named Dexter, Sheldon and Alvin.