There’s a new star in town in Shirlington and it’s ready to serve.
An AI-guided robot has begun delivering customers’ orders at Big Buns at 4251 Campbell Avenue, and it’s proving to be something of an attraction, representatives told ARLnow.
“The robot is drawing a lot of families and kids,” said Kebba Gaye, director of operations for Thompson Restaurants. “People are coming to see the robot, which is really unique for us.”
The Shirlington location was one of three to deploy a robot server in September after the restaurant tried it out at its One Loudoun location in May.
The robot has two trays for food, and by default, it sits at the front of the kitchen. After customers order food at the counter or using a QR code, workers load orders onto the robot and type in a table number.
The bot’s screen is replaced with a pair of eyes as it begins its journey to the table.
The robot is sensitive to obstacles in the way. If a customer blocks its path, it’ll tell them to “move your big buns.”
Upon arrival, it spins around and tells customers to take their food with a variety of phrasing. Pressure sensors let it know the food is gone and then it heads back to the kitchen.
Zandrique Harrold, vice president of operations for Thompson Restaurants, said it felt right for the brand.
“Big Buns is one of our innovative, fun brands,” she said.
Harrold said it is guided by artificial intelligence, which was used to create a virtual schematic of the restaurant. It hasn’t replaced any jobs, she said, because managers still check on tables and the robot can only carry so much. It also can only handle so many tables during a rush.
“We still want the human impact,” she said.
It’s been a hit particularly for kids, Harrold and Gaye said. People will come in and ask specifically for the robot server, and the restaurant will prioritize sending it to families.
Harrold hopes it can inspire youngsters to get interested in technology.
“Why not introduce AI to our teams and our guests?” she said. “You hope it can spark younger kids to look into tech and not their phones.”
The robot is tentatively named Frankie by the staff, which comes from the Franklin Farms location. But Harrold said they’ll soon be running a naming contest for the public.
This is just the latest robot delivery service in Arlington. Self-driving robots along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor also began delivering Uber Eats orders in June.
