Stoneridge Creek Pleasanton retirement community’s newest servers are robots

Gliding silently across the three expansive dining rooms, robots “Robbie” and “Stoney” have been a big hit with seniors at the Stoneridge Creek Pleasanton retirement community.

Stoneridge was one of the first to launch the Servi food service robot program in a senior living community last year, and others nationwide have reached out to them since about adopting the idea. The Tesla-inspired technology from Bear Robotics, Inc. in Redwood City was initially brought into the community to assist staff with clearing tables and serving up meals for at least 800 residents.

Born of the pandemic, social distancing and staffing shortages, the robots now just bus tables since the staffing levels have returned to normal. This eliminates the need for staff members to run back and forth to the kitchen to remove dirty dishes and they can focus on being more social with the residents.

Director of Food and Beverage Zachary Zeigler says it was important when they launched the program that seniors still felt that human connection with the staff.

“Our team has more time now to interact with our residents, which is the best part of their jobs,” Zeigler said.

At first, the leased robots were quite the novelty, and some elders would put their canes out in front of them or walk nearby to see how they would react. But they’re adept at deftly dodging most obstacles, including crafty humans trying to trip them up using walkers and canes.

“They add some entertainment value,” resident Sandy Block said. “We just all keep our fingers crossed that it doesn’t get out of hand and run into somebody,” Block said with a smile.

Residents have also been encouraged to use other technology-inspired applications including QR codes to order food right from their tables. And now, a year later, the robots mostly just blend into the background as they wiz to and from the cavernous kitchen bustling with workers.

Residents and friends Nancy Evans, Audrey Lord-Hausman, Roseanne Lippert and Sharon Ough were enjoying their lunch and sharing a bottle of rose wine as the robots zipped around the dining room awaiting loads of dirty dishes.

“They don’t talk back and they don’t call in sick,” Lord-Hausman joked.

Did they ever imagine that they’d see robots in their lifetime? In the technology-driven Bay Area, it was really no surprise to most.

“They’re very efficient,” resident Nancy Evans said. “Plus, they’re so darn cute.”

Click here to learn more about the robots.