NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Children laugh as youngsters use their smartphones to film robots carrying plates of freshly prepared meals on their built-in trays to deliver them to diners at a busy restaurant in Kenya’s capital.
Nairobi has a vibrant tech industry with various startups and innovations operating and has positioned itself as a tech hub in the East African region with the nickname The Silicone Savanna.
It is the Robot Café, believed to be the first of its kind in Nairobi and East Africa, where three robots glide among human waiters serving food to fascinated customers.
These pre-programmed robots were acquired for entertainment purposes. Mohammed Abbas, a cafe owner, explains that he has experienced robot services in Asian and European countries and decided to invest in these robots.
“Importing the robots was very expensive,” he says, but adds that the investment has paid off, as the restaurant is “often busy with curious customers” who come to experience the robotic service.
A customer, Packson Chege, takes a plate of fries from the robot’s tray while his friend films the experience from across the table.
“I can say this is something unique because here in our country, Kenya, I have never seen a restaurant like this, so I think for me, this is a good idea from the owner of this restaurant,” he said.
The three robots, named Claire, R24 and Nadia, are not programmed to have a full conversation with customers, but they can say “Your order is ready, welcome” and people must then press an exit button after collecting their food from the tray.
They are controlled by servers via an app on an iPad.
Human servers still play an important role in the cafe’s operation, as they take orders from customers who don’t use the online ordering option. The servers then place the food on the robot’s tray when it’s ready and deliver the drinks in person.
This technology is expected to disrupt the workforce of the future globally, and particularly in Africa, where the population is young, with a median age of 19.
But the cafe manager says robots are not a replacement for human servers because they cannot provide all the services.
“At no point are robots able to fully function in all the services that are supposed to be done in the restaurant without human intervention,” John Kariuki said. “Robots are actually way too expensive for us to acquire, so if you’re trying to save money, it’s not going to work if you go the robotic route.”
Hospitality industry expert Edith Ojwang said there was room for robotic and human services to coexist in the sector.
“The hospitality industry is very diverse. Some of our customers prefer robotic service and full automation, while others prefer human service, the human touch and warmth that comes with human service, so it’s not entirely a threat to human work because of the diverse nature of the hospitality customer base,” she said.
