New Robots Serve Up Smiles

Bonnie and Jasper are the latest additions to the Assisted Living dining room at Brio Living Services’ community, Porter Hills Village, quietly delivering meals, piping hot, from the kitchen to the residents.  “They have quickly become a vital part of the dining experience,” says Ann Marie Villareal, Senior Director of Dining Services of the pair of robots that have recently joined the dining team.

The size of the Assisted Living dining room previously meant the wait staff had a lot of walking to do. “It’s a hike to get from the kitchen at one end to tables at the far end,” explains Ann Marie. “Now the robots can do much of the traveling back and forth.”

“The robots have been an awesome addition to the team, allowing them to spend more time with residents and tend to their needs more efficiently,” says Chef Manager Dante Owens. The robots are programmed with routes to each table, but will stop if anything is in their way. The cooks place plated meals on the robots’ three shelves, and the robots deliver them to the tables where servers are ready. The robots also help bus tables at the end of the meal.

“We love our robots!” says Andrea Darling, a retired health and physical education teacher who has lived at Porter Hills Village for 5 years. “We’re really fascinated with them.”

The robots look friendly with their animated eyes. They can say “Good morning,” play music, even sing “Happy Birthday.”

Brio is also excited to add robots to the Chelsea Retirement Community dining team. The robots have been a welcome addition at Assisted Living and are now being introduced at the Fireside Grille in Dancey House Independent Living. As we continue to pilot the robots, we look forward to adding them at more Brio locations to assist our teams.

“No jobs are going away,” Ann Marie is quick to add. “The robots are helping to make our servers more efficient. It’s really surprised us all that they are so helpful. They’re not a gimmick. They are truly beneficial.”

At Brio Living Services, we are committed to excellence in all areas of senior living, including providing quality dining experiences for our residents.