As we all know, staffing shortages are having an impact on businesses in nearly every sector.  To combat that, and to assist their current staff, Smee’s Alaskan Fish Bar has hired on…a robot!
“I think the customers really love it, and a lot of them are just amazed and there's a lot of photo taking and a lot of videos," said Owner Jon Smee.
Smee, who was an Alaskan fisherman turned restauranteur, has found it hard to keep the fish bar staffed and is currently running on about 65 percent of the staffing that he needs.
“We are searching, we are always shorthanded it seems like, and it's just a sign of the times I think."
Nevada unemployment has been slower to recover from the pandemic than the us as a whole, with a 6.4 percent unemployment rate compared to the nation’s 3.9.But Ruby the robot, named after Smee's mother--brings in cheaper labor, sitting at around $800 dollars a month, which breaks down to around $2 dollars and 50 cents an hour.
“The thing is, it can work 12 hours a day, it never takes a day off, and it never calls in sick," said Smee.
This technology, while new to Reno, is put together by bear robotics, which has robot servers in places like chili's and Denny’s across the country.
“She leaves the kitchen with plates and goes straight to whatever table we program her to."
AND while ruby cannot take your order quite yet, the servers she is assisting say this technology is a gamechanger, especially with staff stretched so thin.
"Honestly, she is amazing. She has made a huge difference, especially because when we are trying to run from table to table to table and take care of everybody, it's nice to know that the food is coming out and we can just spend time making sure drinks are taken care of and that customers are really having a great experience," said Server at Smee’s Pamela Anderson.
So far, Ruby only has basic functions and can’t carry liquids, but the staff here at Smee's plans to dive deeper into her operations, including giving her a voice, and even has plans for a new addition in the future!
