Mario Parlato, owner of the restaurant «La terrazza delle Sirene» located in the scenic Circolo dei Forestieri in Sorrento, had no doubts: tired of the exhausting search for waiters, he eventually “hired” two robots to serve his customers.
«When young people come to the interview - he says - many are more interested in having weekends off than in the service, whereas ours is a job that mostly takes place when others are on vacation and on holidays». And since robots have no demands, «I solved the issue by making this decision».
The news of the robot waiters has spread throughout the Coast. But not everyone agrees with the idea.
«Sorrento - critics observe - has a culture of hospitality, even a coffee served in bars has a special charm. Since the Grand Tour (the journey undertaken in various European countries, between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, by young aristocrats to complete their cultural education - ed) the people of Sorrento know how to treat foreigners». But Parlato specifies that the robots will never replace flesh and blood waiters. It is only a help, he clarifies: they can accompany customers to the table, carry dishes and drinks, «but the kindness and friendliness of those who do this job with passion are irreplaceable»