New Impressive Dumplings outlet has a robot waiter

A talking robot waiter named Bella is now delivering your favourite Chinese dishes at Cairns’ newest restaurant. Watch the video.

Bella the robot waiter on duty at Impressive Dumplings. Picture: Brendan Radke

A talking robot waiter named Bella is now waiting to deliver your favourite Chinese dishes at Cairns’ newest restaurant.

Never getting tired and not expecting overtime rates, the automated machine at Cairns’ first Impressive Dumplings (iDumpings) outlet has a simulated happy face and is programmed to deliver meals to a specific table and can even return to the kitchen with dirty dishes.

Bella has been a real crowd pleaser according to Impressive Dumplings restaurant supervisor Megan Cairns.

Diners Troy Woosnam and Wayne Lavis have their lunch delivered by robot at the new Impressive Dumplings restaurant. Picture: Brendan Radke

“It seems to be quite intriguing to everyone that wants to come and see,” she said.

“The kids really like it because it comes out and literally stops at your table and you get to take the food off.

“It’s kind of like a bit of an interaction with the robot, so yeah, it’s quite popular.”

The Cairns Esplanade restaurant also has full self-serve dine-in and takeaway ordering systems.

Diners simply scan the QR code from your table to view the digital menu and order before waiting for Bella to arrive.

“Because it’s got sensors on it, it knows that (the customer) has taken all of the dishes and then it just sends itself back,” Ms Cairns said.

Megan Cairns serves up some sweet and sour pork delivered by Bella the robot at the new Impressive Dumplings restaurant. Picture: Brendan Radke

BellaBot is produced by Pudu Robotics, the machine is in place in many restaurants around the globe and can speak to customers, often addressing them as “dear guest”.

Bella rolls on wheels and features several trays for waitstaff or customers to load and unload dishes.

“It’s got a floor plan so it’s knows which tables are which and we just tap the table number and then it takes it off to that table,” Ms Cairns said.

Specialising in dumplings, the new Esplanade restaurant offers steamed, boiled or pan fried options with a range of different sauces.

Ms Cairns said Chinese-inspired stir fried noodles, noodle soups and rice dishes were also proving popular.

“And we do a variety of different like iced teas as well,” Ms Cairns said.

Founded in 2019 Impressive Dumplings now has six Brisbane and Gold Coast restaurants.

The Esplanade outlet is the first regional Queensland restaurant, which now occupies a long empty part-tenancy vacated by the popular Barnacle Bill’s Seafood Inn that closed in 2019.

The new Cairns franchise is owned by a Brisbane-based entity.

A second Impressive Dumplings outlet is planned for Smithfield and is expected to open next month.

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Originally published as New Impressive Dumplings outlet has a robot waiter