South Tampa restaurant’s robotic waiter may be wave of the future

Grab a seat inside Pho813 in South Tampa and it won't be long until you come face to face with a robotic waiter. 

"When the customer wants something, they press a button it delivers to the table," said Pho813 restaurant manager Richard Thai. 

It's been "working" since earlier this year and uses sensors and dots on the ceiling to know where it's going. 

"Kids, they’re crazy about it," Thai said. 

The robot is named Peanut. Aside from just being quirky, it also plays a role in this new COVID-19-world we live in by limiting close human-to-human interactions. 

"It helps because of the COVID, some customers just prefer the robot deliver to them," Thai said. "Customers love it. It is convenient for the wait staff and they love it," he noted. 

It may be a glimpse into the not-so-distant future. 

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