By Nicole Greason, Special for wn.calicoeng.com
She approached our table smoothly and quietly, with a basket of toasted garlic naan and platters of paneer, a firm pungent cheese, in a spicy orange-red sauce and tender braised okra with onion and bell pepper, along with fragrant jasmine rice and steaming lentil soup.
“Your order is ready. Please take it away and confirm. You can start your meal now,” she said politely.
We reached out to take our lunch off of the trays she held and pressed OK on a digital screen. She turned to leave, saying, “I will go to serve other guests now.”
This wasn’t a live server, like those who wear a uniform and linger at the table after taking your order, asking how you are, where you’re from or how you like the sunny weather.
This was something new that we hadn’t seen in our previous visits to Chennai Fusion Grill in West Chandler, a local, family-owned spot at 4929 W. Chandler Blvd. near Rural Road, that specializes in Indian cuisine.
She was an interactive robot named Shiela – about 4-feet tall and a couple of feet wide, with a screen at the top, wheels at the bottom and four tiers for trays in between. At a time when food-service employees are difficult to find, she’s a reliable new addition to the wait staff.
Our visit started with a human taking our order and running it to the kitchen, where cooks prepared our food. Then, through the magic of technology, with sensors, mapping of the restaurant and programming in Shiela’s mechanical brain, the robot took over, delivering the trays of food to our table.
Shiela, which has been at the restaurant for about six months, has proven to be helpful in smoothing out operations, supplementing the serving staff and helping to maintain social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic, said restaurant owner Arvinder Kaur.
Shiela “helps us to take precautions as safety is our main motive in having it. The robot supplements staff, it is not a replacement,” Kaur said.
Patrons have responded positively, enjoying the uniqueness of having a robot server and some taking photos when Shiela rolls up to their tables.
“They’re really liking it. It’s working well,” Kaur said.
Ranjani Venkatakrishnan, a recent lunchtime diner, said Shiela was different than what she was expecting.
“I imagined more of a humanoid robot when I heard about this,” Venkatakrishnan said. “It’s not what I imagined, but it’s still very cute and a novelty that could attract customers. Also, the robot’s voice kind of sounds like Mickey Mouse.”
Vegetarian and non-vegetarian options are available at the restaurant.
Information at chennaifusiongrill.com.
