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At Panifício Real, a bakery with 32 years in Tubarão, the waiter robot assists the team in customer service. According to the owner Priscila Rabelo Marcelino, it would be the first case of its kind in bakeries in the state, and the initiative aims to complement the staff without giving up the family essence of the place.
A waiter robot named Chico started serving customers at a traditional bakery in the South of Santa Catarina, and the news was reported by ND Mais on June 10, 2026. The equipment was incorporated by Panifício Real, in Tubarão, a place that has been part of the residents’ routine for 32 years and now shares the space with technology. According to the establishment, the waiter robot is the first initiative of its kind in bakeries in the state, which already arouses the curiosity of those who visit the place.
According to the owner Priscila Rabelo Marcelino, in an interview with ND Mais, the decision to adopt the waiter robot came after a series of research on new customer service technologies. The name Chico is a tribute to the company’s founder, and the proposal, according to her, is to add to the team’s work without losing the welcoming and family essence built over more than three decades. The initiative came from Priscila and her husband and partner, Douglas Machado Moreira.
The waiter robot Chico at Panifício Real
The waiter robot arrived to share space with breads, cakes, and coffees at Panifício Real, in Tubarão. According to the report by ND Mais, the traditional bakery, present in the city for 32 years, started using the machine to assist in customer service. Still according to the establishment, it is the first experience of its kind in bakeries in Santa Catarina.
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The presence of the waiter robot in a neighborhood business draws attention precisely because of the contrast. On one side, a place with more than three decades of history and a loyal clientele; on the other, an automated service equipment circulating among the tables. This meeting between the old and the new is what has made many people stop to observe.
Why the name is a tribute to the founder
The name of the waiter robot was not chosen by chance. Named Chico, it pays homage to the founder of Panifício Real, whose dedication helped build the company’s history and is still remembered by the family and employees. The choice connects the technological novelty to the memory of who started the business.
According to Priscila Rabelo Marcelino, the idea came after a series of research on service technologies. The management evaluated different models before investing in the tool, aiming to make some processes more agile. The owner summarizes that the waiter robot came to help, not to change the spirit of the place.
How the waiter robot became an attraction, especially for children
Besides helping the team, the waiter robot has won the public’s sympathy. According to ND Mais, children are among the most enchanted with the novelty, which interacts in a fun way during service. This reception helped Chico become a separate attraction within the bakery.
For the owner, the arrival of the waiter robot symbolizes the balance between tradition and innovation. The idea is for technology to coexist with human service, without overshadowing what has always marked the establishment. The result, at least at this first moment, has been the curious interest of adults and the excitement of children.
Technology to add, not to replace
The company itself insists on framing the waiter robot as a reinforcement, not as a replacement for employees. According to Priscila, the equipment “came to add to the work of our employees,” assisting in the daily routine. The official stance is to complement the team, keeping people at the center of service.
This position practically answers a common question when it comes to automation. By presenting the waiter robot as an ally of the team, the bakery tries to balance modernization with the preservation of human service, which is usually the differential of a family business. The bet, therefore, is to use technology without giving up the close relationship with the customer.
The other side of the novelty
Despite the initial charm, it’s worth looking at the waiter robot with balance. All automation in service tends to reignite the debate about the place of people in work and about the human warmth that defines neighborhood bakeries, where many people go as much for the bread as for the conversation. For now, Chico’s role appears as an assistant and as an attraction, and not as a replacement for the team.
There is still the test of time, which goes beyond the curiosity of the first few weeks. Such equipment depends on maintenance and adaptation to the busy routine of a bakery, and the real gain appears when the novelty becomes a useful part of daily life, not just a passing attraction. It is at this point that it will be seen whether the waiter robot truly adds value or remains just an initial effect.
The arrival of the waiter robot Chico at Panifício Real shows how even a traditional business can experiment with technology without turning its back on its own history. Between the homage to the founder and the excitement of the children, the bakery in Tubarão bets that tradition and innovation can fit on the same counter, as long as people remain at the center of service. Time will tell the extent of this success.
And you, would you like to be served by a waiter robot at your trusted bakery, or do you prefer service only with people? Share your opinion, respecting different views on the subject.
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