{"id":25387,"date":"2022-08-15T12:08:17","date_gmt":"2022-08-15T16:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-gordon-food-service-canada.pantheonsite.io\/ideas\/robots-in-the-house-thats-servi-with-a-smile\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T10:05:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T14:05:20","slug":"robots-in-the-house-thats-servi-with-a-smile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/robots-in-the-house-thats-servi-with-a-smile\/","title":{"rendered":"Robots in the house? That\u2019s Servi with a smile"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Server robots can help boost team happiness and customer experience.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The future is here, and it\u2019s always moving forward. Those phrases describe Servi, the hospitality robot <\/a>that lightens the load for servers by navigating crowded spaces to quickly transport food from kitchen to tableside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resembling a \u201cStar Wars\u201d droid but with the nimbleness of a Roomba, Servi twists and turns to maneuver just about anywhere, all while moving in the same direction as your business \u2013 forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A halo of blue light glows around the wheels hidden in the base as it rolls quietly at a brisk walking pace. Radar-like sensors and multiple cameras prevent it from bumping into tables, chairs or people, so it can carry up to 32 kg. of plated meals or other essentials to any spot mapped out in your dining room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For foodservice operators, Servi generates labour and budget savings while increasing service capacity and table turns. For servers, it cuts out back-and-forth trips and reduces lifting, balancing and carrying food trays. For guests, Servi is welcome at the table, where it might sing \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d (in one of several languages) or become an Instagrammable photo op.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, Servi improves the customer experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHigh-quality service is at the core of any restaurant experience,\u201d said Juan Higueros, co-founder of Bear Robotics. \u201cServi is an assistant that gives employees more time to spend with guests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting the robot rolling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Higueros and his partners, John Ha and Fangwei Li, envisioned a future of robotic serving devices <\/a>about six years ago, when they ran their own restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe noticed that this was going to become a need. We saw some of these taxing and repetitive tasks like food running was a problem with our own small venue,\u201d Higueros said. \u201cWe set out to build Servi to eliminate the constant back-and-forth of running food and the heavy burden of bussing tables so our people could dedicate more attention to the most important part of our business \u2013 the customer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past six years, Servi has been tested<\/a>, tweaked and perfected:<\/p>\n\n\n\n