Written by Helen Strickland // Photo by Morgan Pickering
Guacamole Grill, a Mexican restaurant in Searcy, has a new and unexpected employee: a robot. The robot is a pointy-eared, cat-like character that displays an occasional cat face on its front screen. It joined the Guacamole Grill staff in June.
Layton Montano, manager and owner of Guacamole Grill, said the restaurant purchased the cat because they “wanted to have something different to attract more customers.”
Though the robot does not serve every customer, it frequently moves around the restaurant, so it is visible to anyone. The robot is not a waiter, but it has multiple jobs, including seating customers, bringing appetizers to tables or singing Happy Birthday. It speaks to customers as it delivers food, and when customers have received their food, a “finish” button appears on the screen. When pressed, the robot wheels away. Several Harding students have experienced this cat firsthand, including sophomore Amelia Slater.
“It was the most memorable experience I have ever had at a Mexican restaurant,” Slater said.
The robot only serves some tables, however. Harding juniors Layne Medler and Magdalene Pruitt watched the robot at work, but they were not personally served by it, which they said led to confusion.
“Is it like ‘oh, we don’t have enough servers right now, tell the robot to go deliver?’” Pruitt said.
Pruitt emphasized the robot’s efficiency, however, describing its movement as “quiet” and “fast.” She described the robot’s physical appearance as a “really tall Roomba.”
The robot also provides an entertainment factor, Medler said.
“It was excellent,” Medler said. “I sat down and I was eating my chips and salsa, and then I see movement out of the corner of my eye as this robot […] is making his way across the restaurant. I forgot there was a robot there, and I was unsettled.”
She also said the robot distracted her from making conversation with her friends as she spent her time watching it instead.
“I was just watching him with his little bowtie walking around,” Medler said.
Montano said the robot has been popular thus far, and young customers like to take pictures with it. He also classified the robot as a “great employee,” saying it never gets tired or complains. The robot does not have a name, but Montano said Guacamole Grill is planning to ask the city of Searcy to help provide suggestions.
