Avast ye! A poor tavernkeep hired a mechanized matey to lend a hand, but soon, the bilge rats sent their ire!
2023-07-29
Arrr! This wee tavern be lackin' in enough servin' souls, so the captain be hirin' a mechanical marvel named Plato. Little did she know, the scurvy dogs who dine here be raisin' a ruckus 'gainst this contraption!
Diners at The Cazadero restaurant in Estacada, Oregon were surprised when Plato, a three-and-a-half-foot-tall robot, rolled up to their table to deliver their lunch. While some found the experience phenomenal, Plato hasn't won over everyone in the small timber town. Cazadero owner Sherry Andrus had turned to robots to help with the difficulty of finding servers willing to commute to the rural area, especially with the increase in the minimum wage. Despite Andrus' excitement about introducing Plato, angry comments flooded in when she posted about it on social media. However, some community members defended Andrus, pointing out that the restaurant had been hiring for months and that the robots were meant to assist the human staff, not replace them. In person, the response has been friendlier overall, with regular customers even enjoying their interactions with Plato. The Cazadero is one of about two dozen locations to deploy the cobiot, developed by United Robotics Group. While tips have decreased since Plato's introduction, Andrus believes that AI will play a key role in the future of the restaurant industry, even in small rural communities. Despite resistance to change, the town of Estacada is growing, with people from the city moving in and bringing new dynamics and demographics. Andrus acknowledges that it's impossible to please everyone but remains committed to making her small town restaurant successful.