Twin Cities restaurant adds robot to staff amid workforce shortage

Many Minnesota businesses are dealing with staffing shortages.

One Twin Cities restaurant has come up with a creative way to help solve the problem.

Sawatdee Thai restaurant has added a robot to its staff at its Minneapolis and Maple Grove location.

The robot, named "DeeDee," isn’t designed to replace a server, but rather, help one.

"She’s basically just a food runner," Sawatdee owner Cyndy Harrison said. "She’s basically just a food runner. Someone in the kitchen will take the food and put it on her tray, then she’ll go out to a table and she’ll announce that she’s there or she’ll meet the server there and the server will distribute the food."

DeeDee has become quite popular with many customers.

"She’s the celebrity, like, everyone wants to see her," Harrison said.