State Street Pizza Pub, which opened in July at 322 W. State St., is the latest restaurant to adopt innovative technology to bring efficiency to its customer service.
They’ve invested in Servi, a robotic food runner and bussing bot, which was created to provide a unique solution to the staffing issues being faced by the hospitality industry.
The state of the art robots, which have also been implemented at Golden Nest Pancakes & Cafe, are not intended to replace human staff, but rather to assist employees with their everyday tasks, thereby increasing the efficiency of food delivery, even when the restaurant is at its busiest.
They also free up time so that employees can be more attentive to customers’ needs.
“State Street Pizza Pub is the perfect destination to meet up with friends and family before or after a Fiserv or Panther Arena event, game day celebrations or late night pizza,” notes Pizza Pub owner Jake Dehne. “And now our staff can spend more time with customers instead of running dishes to the dishwasher or food to the table.”
Trumaine Thomas, a server at State Street Pizza Pub, already sees a difference in the short time they’ve been using Servi. “It’s a good assistant and it really helps out when we are super busy.”
Of course, having a robot around can also provide a source of amusement.
Operating partner James Sanchez notes that his favorite feature is that you can program Servi to sing its version of "Happy Birthday" for guests.
“Customers really find Servi to be really cool, and people are always taking pictures with it too.”
Feeling clever?
Currently State Street Pizza Pub’s robot is going by its given name, “Servi”; however the staff at the restaurant is in search of a better moniker for the newest member of their service staff.
Just stop in, order a pizza and submit your suggestion for the best robot name. Ultimately, if your suggestion is chosen, you’ll win free pizza at State Street Pizza Pub for a month.
Read more about State Street Pizza Pub, which serves up pizza in just 10 minutes, here.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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