Rolling Hills Casino deploys robots to deal with staffing issues
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CORNING — Facing staffing issues, like every other business in the county, Rolling Hills Casino turned to the future for a solution by purchasing two robot servers from Richtech Robotics.
The servers’ primary duty is to help with to-go orders and busing dirty dishes and glasses back to the kitchen at Rock & Brews. They can hold about 20 pounds per shelf of what waiters load when customers are done with their meals. Staff can program where the servers can go, with sensors set up around the restaurant that help guide the robots around specific zones.
When the servers are running low on power, they go back to their charging station to be ready for their next shift.
Besides those duties, the robots can display the restaurant’s specials and deals and sing happy birthday to customers along with a few other songs.
They have been in use since the end of December. Since then, they have become something of an attraction for the restaurant. When people see the robots in action, they ask staff if they can take a photo or video of them. At the same time, staff are still discovering all the robots can do.
General Manager Steve Neely said this all came about because he, along with some other staff, began thinking about the staff issues one weekend. They did a deep dive into the internet, and Neely founded Richtech Robotics and discovered its robot servers were being used in other locations.
“I went to a restaurant in Las Vegas who was using them and basically doing what we are doing with them here,” Neely said. “I saw it, and I saw the capability and thought it would be a good idea for us.”
These services are not meant as replacements for employees. The casino has launched a program to attract employees with increased pay for staff but it has not had the desired effects yet.
“We still struggle to get employees, so we certainly do not see these as a replacement for anybody,” Neely said.
