Serving a New Solution for Staffing Shortages
Nearly two years removed from the most serious pandemic this generation has ever witnessed and we find ourselves in a very confusing economic landscape. Who would have guessed that what began with mass shortages would eventually spell supply chain fractures, mass wage inflation, and labor scarcity – all of which serve to endanger the small business sector with unchecked expenses, unstaffed positions, and unending headaches.
Restaurants Bear the Brunt
The restaurant industry has endured many negative effects of this “new normal,” especially when it comes to labor shortages and the economic implications of running understaffed dining establishments. While delivery services and takeout skyrocketed during the pandemic, indoor dining and hospitality have taken hits that continue wreaking havoc on the food and drink industry and will likely reshape the future of restaurants.
In their “2021 State of the Restaurant Industry Mid-Year Update,” the National Restaurant Association revealed that three in four operators have cited recruitment and employee retention as their toughest challenges, despite employee gains. They go on to conclude that menu prices are increasing, citing labor costs as one of the key contributors.
To combat the growing host of new “Now Hiring” signage, many restaurants, even in the fast food sector, are forced to offer sign-on bonuses up to $1,000 plus massive wage increases just to attract entry-level employees. Yet, workers remain resistant to applications and interviews. According to the National Restaurant Association, the industry is still out at least one million jobs from pre-pandemic levels of around 12.3 million workers.
We Bear the Future
Thankfully, we live in an era where innovation and ingenuity are constantly evolving the way work is done, and there are new ways to combat labor shortages and quell the costs associated with excess expenses and rapidly growing wage standards.
At Bear Robotics, we’ve spent the last four years designing, building, and refining automated service solutions for dining, hospitality, and beyond. With a background heavily influenced by the restaurant business, we foresaw a need for automation in the industry but never could have predicted the current labor crisis affecting restaurants.
Our founding partners cut their teeth on the front lines, not only investing in, but running restaurants from the ground up. There’s no job in the field we have not done. From running to bussing to waiting tables and washing dishes, we have experienced an array of problems and are now approaching them from the perspective of both employees and the customers they ultimately impact.
The Servi Solution
Enter Servi, the fourth-generation robot in an extensive development endeavor that began in 2016 with one mission in mind: To set a new standard in robotics by empowering incredible dining experiences.
By mastering the restaurant space, we’ve been able to advance the service industry by pushing technology past its comfort zone so it may improve yours.
Servi is a high capacity helping hand, combining versatile design with nimble navigation to allow quick assistance in running food, bussing tables, delivering drinks and sending to-go orders. Servi’s intuitive installation process allows any restaurant to onboard it same-day with a simple two-step setup. With active learning and analytics, we’re able to monitor and improve each Servi in operation efficiently.
And while this may sound like something from a Star Trek episode, it’s already made its way into restaurants around the country, improving service experiences for millions of guests. As of publication, Servi has traveled over 132 thousand miles, with over 10.8 million deliveries made to over 6.6 million tables.
With Servi, restaurants no longer need to be afraid of labor shortages in the service industry. Our automation solutions are perfect for any size operation and will empower your servers to create better experiences for the guests who mean everything to your business.
