Robot Is Hired as Newest Member of The Templeton of Cary Senior Living Staff
June 19, 2020
Cary, NC — (6/19/20)
The newest member of The Templeton of Cary’s food service staff is not required to wear a hairnet and never asks for an extra day off.
The Templeton is proud to introduce “Penny,” a self-driving robot that delivers food, drinks to the residents and empty dishes back to the kitchen.
“Penny is the latest in food-service technology and we are excited to have her here at The Templeton,” said Anthony Wright, Food and Nutrition Director for Morrison Living, dining provider for The Templeton of Cary. “Penny allows our servers to spend more time and quality interaction with the Residents, and less time carrying the heavy items to and from the tables.
“And, Residents love interacting with Penny,” Wright added.
Penny has four censors that help it to navigate around the dining venues, avoiding tables and people in its path. Standing three feet tall, the robot has a three-tier tray system that allows it to deliver food and drinks, as well as pick up dirty dishes. It is estimated that Penny does 30 to 40 percent of the job of a human server. Additional robots are planned for The Templeton, and, according to inventor John Ha, future versions of Penny will have additional interactive, social features.
Ha, a former Google software engineer, opened a Northern California restaurant that unfortunately failed. What he learned from the experience was that working in food service was hard work with lots of heavy labor. He was determined to change the way restaurants operated and this led to the creation of Penny.
Ha’s new company, Bear Robotics, hopes to transform the hospitality industry by augmenting the human workforce with innovation to automate repetitive tasks. This allows for enhanced service with more quality human interaction. The idea to create a better service experience for consumers, or Residents in The Templeton’s case, has been well received by the food service industry.
“We have not replaced a single job,” Wright said. “A lot of people thought that these robots were going to replace humans. The biggest merit is when the food is delivered, it gives the server more time to interact with the resident. We now have the time to spend on the most important part of our job – providing amazing food and amazing service,” he concluded.
The Templeton, Cary’s newest, rental continuing care retirement community, emphasizes luxury and embraces new technology, creating a superior resident experience. Other technologies that accompany Penny and its high-tech dining service are Touchtown and NxtGen™, both of which enhance communication among residents and staff and ensure the safety of those who call The Templeton “home”.
For additional information about Penny and/or The Templeton of Cary, contact Food and Nutrition Director Anthony Wright at 914-327-0672 / anthonywright@morrisonliving.com or Templeton Executive Director Krista Lemery at 919-621-4286 / KLemery@libertyseniorliving.com.