Robot server lends a hand at Bradenton restaurant amid staffing challenges in hospitality industry

BRADENTON, Fla. - Business is booming at Anna Maria Oyster Bar.

"Our business, our numbers and our customer counts have been all off the charts, compared to '19 and '21," said restaurant president John Horne.

With record numbers, there's one challenge that remains for Horne's restaurant: staffing.

"It’s hard to get people back in to the work force, he said. "Hospitality has been the hardest hit industry in the state of Florida."

But in this restaurant, a solution on wheels has arrived.

An order of calamari being delivered to table 21 is being carried by "Pearl." She's a robot that can wheel out food and give servers a hand -- along with more time with their guests.

"The guest is never looking for their server," Horne said. "They’re in their station. They’re making better money. They’re taking more guests and taking better care of them. It’s a win-win for us."

At $2.53 an hour, she comes at a good cost.

"Pearl never misses a shift, Pearl is never late. She never needs a day off. She doesn't take vacation. She is here 7 days a week. That’s a great thing. It’s an absolute great thing," Horne said.

Pearl is one answer to the challenges faced by the hospitality industry, but business owners across the spectrum are having to get creative to find new hires.

"Businesses are starting to adjust and adapt the current labor market conditions," said Curt Preisser with CareerSource Suncoast.

With an abundance of jobs available, Preisser says the advantage right now trends toward employees.

"It's a worker’s market right now. They can go out there and they can sit there and kind of negotiate," he said.

For Anna Maria Oyster Bar, Pearl is their shiny solution.

"We are doing whatever we can to try and find people to work with us and help us in our restaurants," said Horne.