No waiters found

Staff shortage: restaurateur relies on robots

More and more restaurateurs and tourism professionals in Italy are faced with the problem of staff shortages. Because he was unable to find any waiters for the summer season despite a long search, Mario Parlato, owner of a renowned restaurant in the southern Italian resort of Sorrento, has now deployed two robots. They bring the food directly to the tables.

Parlato invested 36,000 euros in the two robots. They can accompany customers to their table, bring them food and drinks and also say "bon appétit".

"We offer waiters a regular contract for eight months full employment per year, but I can't find any staff. Most of the young people who come for interviews want weekends off and aren't really interested in working in the catering industry," complains the restaurant owner, according to media reports.

No replacement
Parlato makes it clear that the robots will never replace flesh-and-blood waiters. They are only a support. "Robots can accompany customers to the table, bring food and drinks, but the friendliness and sympathy of those who do this work with passion are irreplaceable," emphasizes the restaurateur.

Staff shortage
According to estimates by the industry association Assoturismo Confesercenti, there is a shortage of at least 50,000 people in the Italian tourism industry. The catering industry is particularly hard hit by the shortage of staff.

The difficulty in finding staff has now taken on a structural form and reached the level of a real emergency. It is impossible to cope with peak loads, especially in some areas such as the seaside resorts on the northern Adriatic, the association complained.