'When the Robot Served Us Pizza We Felt Very Happy'

Robot waitress draws diners to Pakistani pizza joint
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 6, 2017 4:18 PM CDT
Robot Waitress Draws Diners to Pakistani Pizza Joint
A robot waitress serves food to customers at a pizza restaurant in Multan, Pakistan, Thursday, July 6, 2017.   (Iram Asim)

The owners of a pizza shop in Pakistan say business is booming now that they've introduced a robot waitress. Osama Jafri, the engineer who designed the 55-pound robot, says it can greet customers and carry pizzas to their tables. The AP reports the robot resembles a short, slender woman wearing a long dress and apron. Jafri says he wrapped a scarf around the robot's neck so as not to offend conservative patrons. The 24-year-old says he was inspired by videos of robots in China, according to Phys.org. He says his robot waitress cost about $6,000 to build.

Jafri says sales at Pizza.com, in the town of Multan, have doubled since the robot was unveiled in February. "We went to a lot of places, but my uncle said that in this restaurant a robot serves," one 12-year-old customer says. "When the robot served us pizza we felt very happy." Jafri's father Aziz, who owns the restaurant, says he has three more robot waitresses and plans to open a new branch. He says, "I used to sell pizzas, but now restaurant owners want to buy robots from me." (More robots stories.)

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