Meet Chaag Thai’s newest robotic employee
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MORGANTOWN – Raj Sundaram, co-owner of Chaag Thai Restaurant at 361 High St. in Morgantown, is revolutionizing how his business operates with latest hire, Toto, a one-of-a-kind service robot.
Toto has been working at the restaurant for two-and-a-half months and has completely changed the productivity of the restaurant, according to Sundaram.
"He has been extremely efficient," he said. "I don't think it's too early to say that I can't imagine running the restaurant without Toto now."
His job is to deliver in-house and takeout orders to customers and delivery drivers from the kitchen to the restaurant area. Sundaram explained how Toto helps his current employees by doing the simple tasks that keep them out of the kitchen.
"Ever since I put in the front kiosk, I don't have any front employees. Everybody is in the kitchen," he said. "So, let's say a customer sitting by the window there, they order drinks; an employee has to come all the way from there just to serve a drink. I started thinking about how I can make it easier for employees...a lot of monotonous tasks."
Sundaram said he was inspired to make the investment after seeing similar machines during a trip to Thailand two years ago. While new machines can cost between $14,000 and $30,000, Sundaram said he purchased Toto used at around $8,000.
According to Sundaram, customers order their food at the front kiosk, take a seat, and Toto will bring out the food on a tray when it is ready. He can carry up to eight pounds of food per tray.
Sundaram emphasized that Toto is not replacing any current staff, but simply helping Chaag Thai's current team streamline the ordering process.
"I need a human being to cook the food," Sundaram said. "Our food has amazing flavors and so many different sauces have to be added in the right combination with the right temperature to cook a perfection of that. It's impossible to use machines to do that, at least in the foreseeable future."
While the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the dining experience from in-store to takeout, Sundaram said he has noticed many families making the change to eat-in and experience Toto's service for themselves.
"The whole idea of me bringing (in) Toto was to help the employees spend more time on intelligent jobs and reduce the monotonous task and be an assistant. What I never saw coming is since Toto came, I am seeing that more and more families with small kids who often used to do takeouts and deliveries are dining in more often. I ask them why, and they say that their children want to meet Toto again. It has become a local celebrity," he said.
In the future, Sundaram said he is considering adding another robot to the staff to simply interact with customers and provide entertainment. While the next few years are uncertain, Sundaram expects to see more machines taking over the hospitality industry.
"In the modern world, people are not too happy to do the job. People get bored, especially with smartphones which keep you entertained all the time. They expect some kind of challenge, some kind of entertainment in their job," he said. "Carrying food and walking all the way and going back empty-handed is not a very exciting or interesting job. So, any repetitive job, increasingly human beings will be less and less interested to do that. Luckily, these robots are going to be available to replace that job."
Sundaram predicts that in the next five to 10 years, robots may even be in the kitchen, despite the meticulous attention needed when preparing ethnic food.
"Instead of having five employees, a chef will be managing four robots. He will be putting all the sauces in the right amount based on the customer request, special request and restrictions and all that. The robot will do the monotonous task of tossing and turning the noodles and rice and all that."
Sundaram said this shift is necessary as the upcoming generation begins exploring new job opportunities.
"It's getting harder and harder to find employees for ethnic cuisine,” Sundaram said. "Flipping a burger or throwing a pizza into an oven, anybody can do that. But, this complex, Chinese and Thai and Indian, the last generation of people that opened [restaurants], they were working in the kitchen with their heart and soul put into the food, but their children may not like to work in the industry. They may want to pursue higher education."
Sundaram encourages all community members to experience authentic Thai food and a new experience with Toto as your waiter.
"Come see Toto and eat some good Thai food," he said.
For videos of Toto in action or for more restaurant updates, visit Chaag Thai's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/p/Chaang-Thai-Restaurant-100063478662562/.