Gliding across the dining room with plates ready to be served to customers, Mejia’s Bakery’s newest employee, named “El Nino”, is quite the sight to see.
Hailing from Bear Robotics, El Nino is programmed to memorize the layout of an area, recognize tables, and provide polite service to guests and is the first of ‘his’ kind to be utilized in this part of Texas.
“Basically when the workers are busy up at the front and don’t have a chance to bring the food to the table, they send him,” said Jesus “Jay” Mejia.
“He’ll bring them their food and he’ll say please take your food and he will know when they take the food and then he’ll say thank you, come back.”
I was able to see the new asset in action as Jay placed an order on one of the four tiers, typed in the destination, and El Nino made his way to the correct table.
He stopped and turned to allow the customers to easily grab their plates and thanked them as he went back to his home position behind the counter.
At first the customers seemed surprised to see something not entirely human bring their food to the table, but soon became intrigued as they pulled phones from their pockets to get a picture of this distinct employee.
When inquired about customer’s feedback on El Nino, Jay said that while the feedback is mixed, it’s mostly positive.
“I’ve had positive reviews where people think he’s really cool, but some people think we’re trying to replace actual people,” he said.
“Everywhere you go, there’s low staff. He’s not meant to replace anybody. He’s just another addition to the team.”
Mejia’s Bakery has had El Nino for only a couple of months, but the employees seem to enjoy having him in their establishment, for more reasons than one.
“He’s very efficient, he doesn’t complain, he doesn’t get tired,” Jay laughed. “And he doesn’t care if he makes tips or not.”
To see Mejia’s Bakery’s newest employee and to get some really good eatin’, visit their location at 315 W. Foster in Pampa, TX.
