A Vietnamese restaurant in the US uses robots to serve customers.

Pham said he was inspired to buy a robot during the Covid-19 pandemic, when it was difficult to hire employees, according to The Norman Transcript .

“For my staff and the kitchen, I think robots will help. I think we can get food to customers faster and cut costs,” said Mr. Pham.

Mr. Pham usually employs three employees at a time to take orders, serve food, and clear tables. With the robot, Mr. Pham can reduce the number of employees at Pho House to one because he has also started clearing tables.

Screenshot of The Norman Transcript

Pho House is the first restaurant in Norman to have robot servers, and possibly the first in the state of Oklahoma, said Scott Martin, president of the Norman Chamber of Commerce. “I think it’s exciting and innovative. It’s a great idea to have in Norman. Robots definitely address some of the workforce issues that people are having when trying to find workers,” Martin said.

Some diners have also given positive feedback about being served by robots at Pho House. Vince Nguyen, a regular customer at Pho House, said he prefers being served by robots. “This robot is very unique and convenient,” Nguyen said.

Similarly, Vic Long, who came to Pho House for the first time on May 25, shared: “This robot is unique. We have been watching it since we came here.” Mr. Long’s wife, Lisa Long, said that installing the robot at a pho restaurant is reasonable because the pho broth in large, heavy, hot bowls can cause damage if spilled.