full-service restaurants in the Houston metro.
BLS QCEW, 202410:30 · Doors open · Houston restaurants
Serving robots for Houston restaurants: your servers serve, the robots run.
Robots run plates from the pass, bring the bus tubs back and clean the floors after close. Set up and serviced locally with our partner RobotLAB Houston West, Stafford TX.
Your 2026 investment window closes in
Robots you own or finance and place in service by December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM Houston time may qualify for a 2026 deduction. Not tax advice.
Plan for 2027 · 100% bonus depreciation is permanent
Prefer to talk now? Call Exel Robotics (832) 363-7005
BellaBot Pro · food running
Route start · follow the shift
11:30Lunch rushBy the numbers
Houston restaurants, by the numbers.
Every restaurant runs the same loop: kitchen to table, table to dish pit, and a floor to clean once the last guest leaves. In Houston, more of that loop sits with bussers and runners than the national average: 1.46× the national share.
the national share of bussers and runners: 16,740 of these jobs in the Houston metro.
BLS OEWS, May 2025of Texas restaurants said they had enough staff to meet demand. The rest were short.
Texas Restaurant Association, Mar 2024Turnover: workers in accommodation and food services quit at 4.2% a month in 2025, about twice the 2.0% rate across all jobs (national figures). BLS JOLTS, food and lodging · all jobs
What it costsLabor
Carrying and cleaning are paid hours.
In Houston, bussers and runners earn a median $10.51 an hour and janitors $14.74 (BLS, May 2025; BLS wage figures include tips). Bussers and runners · Houston wages · tips note
The loop breaks in the same places: plates waiting at the pass, bus tubs backing up while guests wait for a table, and paid closing hours spent on floors. Robots take the carrying and the floor work, so those hours can go back to guests or come off the schedule.
Size it for your floor12:00ServiceWho does what
The robot carries. Your servers serve.
64% of table-service diners prefer traditional, staff-handled service. So that is how we set it up: the robot makes the trips, and your people do the hospitality. National Restaurant Association
What the robot takes
- Food running: plates from the pass to the table.
- Bussing returns: empties and bus tubs back to the dish pit.
- Floors after close: the dining room, bar and walkways, on a schedule.
- Host stand (optional): leading a party to the table your host assigns.
What stays with your team
- The welcome. Your host stays human.
- The table: orders, recommendations, checking back, pouring the next round.
- Anything boiling or that you would rather keep in staff hands.
- Any guest who would rather deal with a person.
Tips: we make no claim either way. Servers stay the guest-facing role.
12:30Food running · bussingBellaBot Pro
What a serving robot does on a shift.
Pudu BellaBot Pro is a four-tray serving robot. Your team loads plates at the pass and sends it to the table; on the way back it carries the empties to the dish pit.
Multi-tray food running
Load several tables’ plates at the pass and send them out in one trip, with a stop at each table.
Bussing and dish-return runs
On the return trip it carries empties and bus tubs back to the dish pit, so servers don’t have to make that walk.
Called by pager, paced to your room
Staff can call it with a pager, and we set its speed to your room and your menu.
Spec sheet Manufacturer claims
- 4 trays, rated at 10 kg each (40 kg in total)
- Up to 11 h run time with no load; 4.5 h to charge
- Needs 65 cm (about 25½ in) of path clearance
- Speed from 0.2 to 1.2 m/s
Limit: bowls and glasses ride on the trays, but anything boiling stays in staff hands. Pudu BellaBot Pro spec page
Loading at the pass
23:30After closeOvernight cleaning
After-close floor cleaning.
Lock up, and the floors get done. Autonomous cleaners run on a schedule you set once the last guest leaves: the dining room, the bar and the walkways to the kitchen.
Closing, simplified. Your crew wipes down, stacks and locks up; the robot works the floor on the schedule you set.
Gausium Phantas · dining room
Pudu CC1 Pro
- 4-in-1: sweeps, scrubs, vacuums and dust-mops; switches to vacuum-only on carpet
- 700–1,000 m² an hour, full coverage
- Scrubs up to 5 h; needs 70 cm of path clearance
Auto-refill needs the optional station. Manufacturer claims Pudu
Gausium Phantas
- Scrubs or vacuums for up to 4.5 h; dust-mops up to 10 h
- 350–700 m² an hour in practice; about 2 h to charge
- Quiet mode at or below 60 dB; needs a 650 mm pass
Gausium’s spec page makes no carpet claim, so we don’t make one. Manufacturer claims Gausium
Pudu MT1
- Pudu builds it for big venues: up to 100,000 m²
- 70 cm cleaning width; 35 L bin; auto-empty station optional
Patios, parking areas and banquet halls are our suggestion Pudu
10:45Next morning · host standtemi
Help at the host stand, while your host seats.
An optional extra. Your host stays at the stand; temi shows guests in line the menu on its screen and can lead a party to the table your host assigns.
Guide guests to their table
With your tables saved as locations, it can lead a party across the room.
Menu and specials on screen
Its 13.3-inch screen can show your menu and today’s specials, and answer common questions by voice (English only).
Video call to a manager
Telepresence puts a manager on screen at the door without leaving the office.
Built in Manufacturer claims
- Guide, Delivery, Ads and Telepresence scenes
- 13.3-inch screen; 3 kg tray; up to 8 h run time; LiDAR navigation
With custom apps (scoped on request)
Not built in. Other screens, such as a wait-time display, need a custom app built on temi’s software development kit; ask us. temi SDK
temi · guiding a guest
WalkthroughBefore any quoteYour floor
Will it fit our floor?
We check six things on the walkthrough, and we say plainly if a section of your room won’t work.
01Path clearance
BellaBot Pro needs 65 cm (about 25½ in) of path clearance Manufacturer claim. We measure every aisle from the pass to the far booths. Pudu
02Accessible routes
Accessible routes keep 36 in clear, so charging docks and waiting spots go outside them. Not legal advice. U.S. Access Board
03Thresholds and ramps
Steps, steep ramps and tall thresholds need a closer look, so we check every transition on the route.
04Carpet
We note every carpeted section. For after-close cleaning, CC1 Pro switches to vacuum-only on carpet Manufacturer claim.
05Wi-Fi
We check the signal along each route and point out dead spots to fix before go-live.
06Table map
Table numbers, the route from the pass, charging spots and areas the robot should avoid.
What a restaurant robot costs: what a quote includes.
Cost depends on how many robots you need, your floor plan and how you pay: buy, finance or Robotics-as-a-Service. So we don’t print prices. A written quote follows your walkthrough.
- The robots, with buy, finance or Robotics-as-a-Service terms side by side
- Mapping and setup: table numbers, routes, charging spots
- Staff training for servers, hosts and closers
- The service plan: local service from our partner in Stafford, TX
- Anything the walkthrough finds, such as a Wi-Fi fix or a threshold ramp
Your formatWhere it fitsSix formats
Built for busy floors.
Full-service and casual dining
Big floors, steady covers and long walks from the pass to the back booths.
5,050 full-service restaurants in the metro · BLS, 2024
Hot pot, KBBQ and buffets
Plate after plate of refills going out, and stacks of empties coming back.
114 buffets and cafeterias in the metro; hot pot and KBBQ aren’t counted separately · BLS, 2024
Banquets and catering
Courses to many tables at once, and a big room to clean once the event ends.
214 caterers in the metro · BLS, 2024
Hotel F&B
Breakfast buffets, the restaurant and event space under one roof, all with floors to clean.
Cafeterias
Corporate, campus and hospital dining: tray returns and wide floors to keep clean.
Multi-unit groups
Prove it out in one location, then roll the same setup and training across the group.
Your numbersHours estimatorArithmetic only
Labor hours you can redeploy.
Put in your own numbers for food running and bussing. The estimator shows the formula, then how many hours a year robots could take over and what those hours represent in wages.
Your floor, your numbersYour inputs
Labor hours you can redeployEstimate
Estimate based on your inputs. Not a quote or a guarantee.
Step 1 · Hours redeployed each year
—hrs
(food-running hrs + bussing hrs) a day × share × days a week × 52 weeks
Step 2 · What those hours represent
Dollars redeployed each year$—
hours a year × your hourly wage
Hours each week—
Redeployed hours can go back to guests or come off the schedule; that’s your call. This is arithmetic on the numbers you entered. It isn’t a quote or a guarantee, and it doesn’t include robot, service or financing costs.
Day 1How it worksFive steps
From walkthrough to first service.
Setup takes weeks, not days. The University of Houston’s Eric’s Restaurant spent several weeks mapping, programming table points and test-running deliveries before its serving robot went live. CultureMap Houston, Dec 2022
December holiday parties fill the calendar, so book the walkthrough early.
- 01
Walkthrough
We walk your floor with you: the floor plan, aisle widths, table map, thresholds and the route from the pass.
- 02
Written plan, then a written quote
Which robots, which jobs and which routes, with buy, finance or Robotics-as-a-Service options in writing.
- 03
Mapping and setup
The robot maps your dining room; we set table numbers, routes, charging spots and areas to avoid, then test-run them.
- 04
Staff training
A hands-on session for servers, hosts and closers: loading trays, sending to tables, pausing and charging.
- 05
Local service from our partner
Ongoing support and service from our partner RobotLAB Houston West, Stafford TX.
Year-end timingDecember 31, 2026
For a 2026 deduction, robots you own or finance must be placed in service — delivered, mapped and working on your floor — by December 31, 2026.
Setup takes weeks and holiday parties fill December, so book the walkthrough early. Install dates depend on your walkthrough; we don’t guarantee a December 31 install.
The 2026 window has closed · 100% bonus depreciation is permanent · plan for 2027
Your 2026 investment window closes in
Book a free restaurant walkthroughCounts down to 11:59 PM, December 31, 2026, Houston time.
Dec 31Year-end timing2026 tax year
Robots in service by Dec 31 may qualify for a 2026 deduction.
100%
Bonus depreciation or Section 179
Robots you own or finance, placed in service by December 31, 2026, may qualify for 100% bonus depreciation, now permanent for property acquired after January 19, 2025, or for Section 179, up to $2.56 million for 2026 and phasing out above $4.09 million. IRS Notice 2026-11 · Rev. Proc. 2025-32 · IRS Pub 946
42%
It needs taxable income
A deduction only helps against 2026 taxable income at least the size of the deduction, and 42% of restaurant operators said they were not profitable last year. If that’s you, ask your advisor whether Robotics-as-a-Service fits better. National Restaurant Association, 2026
Robotics-as-a-Service
Monthly payments are generally deductible as a business expense; bonus depreciation goes to whoever owns the equipment. Confirm with your advisor.
Financing
Our banking partners are lined up to finance your investment. Subject to credit approval.
Your example · 2026 returnFederal estimate
Enter an amount from $0 to $2,560,000.
%
Enter a rate from 0 to 50%.
Deducted on your 2026 return, if it qualifies$—
Less federal tax, about$—
equipment cost × your federal tax rate
Full estimator: buy, finance or RaaSFederal estimate. Texas has no personal or corporate income tax. Ask your accountant about the franchise (margin) tax.
Texas franchise tax: from the 2026 report onward, federal bonus depreciation can flow into Texas cost of goods sold (Texas Comptroller memo, Dec 2025). Comptroller memo · Forvis Mazars summary
Not tax advice. It needs 2026 taxable income at least the size of the deduction; confirm eligibility with your tax advisor.
On the recordPublished resultsThird-party sources
What’s been published about robots like these.
Third-party reports, dated and linked, including the one that cuts against us. No testimonials or logos here until a Houston customer agrees in writing to be named.
Chili’s (Brinker International)Apr 2022 → Aug 2022
Brinker tested the Rita serving robot at 61 restaurants. In Brinker’s own guest polling, 82% said the experience improved and 77% said their server spent more time with them. Dallas Innovates, 27 Apr 2022
Then, in August 2022, Brinker paused the expansion, citing no clear line of sight to a return. Restaurant Dive, 25 Aug 2022
Why it matters: results depend on the site. That’s why we size each restaurant on its own hours before quoting.
Not an Exel customer. Bear Robotics robot.University of Houston, Eric’s RestaurantSince Oct 2022 · Houston
The university’s hospitality-school teaching restaurant runs a Servi serving robot that carries food from the kitchen to diners’ tables, a Houston precedent. CultureMap Houston, 6 Dec 2022 · UH Magazine, 2023
Not an Exel customer. Bear Robotics robot.FAQPlain English
Restaurant robot FAQ.
My guests want people. Won’t a robot put them off?
We agree with your guests: 64% of table-service diners prefer staff-handled service (National Restaurant Association). So the robot runs plates and buses, and your servers stay at the table. Any table that would rather deal with a person gets a person.
Does it replace servers? What happens to tips?
No. The robot carries; your servers serve. We make no claim about tips either way. Servers stay the guest-facing role.
Our aisles are tight. Will it fit?
BellaBot Pro needs 65 cm (about 25½ in) of path clearance, per Pudu, and accessible routes need 36 in clear. We measure on the walkthrough and tell you plainly if a section won’t work.
Is the return real?
It depends on the site. Chili’s tested serving robots at 61 restaurants, then paused the expansion in August 2022, citing no clear line of sight to a return. That’s why we size each restaurant on its own hours before we quote.
How long does setup take?
No manufacturer publishes an install time. The University of Houston’s Eric’s Restaurant spent several weeks mapping, programming and test-running before go-live. To be in service by December 31, book early.
Can it carry hot soups and drinks?
Bowls and glasses ride on the trays, and we set the speed to your menu. Anything boiling stays in staff hands.
We weren’t profitable this year. Does the deduction still help?
A deduction only helps against taxable income, and 42% of operators said they were not profitable last year. Robotics-as-a-Service payments are a monthly expense instead. Confirm with your advisor.
Can it handle carpet and thresholds?
Steps, steep ramps and tall thresholds need a closer look, so we check every transition and every carpeted section on the walkthrough. For after-close cleaning, CC1 Pro switches to vacuum-only on carpet, per Pudu.
Does it need Wi-Fi?
Setup, updates and some features use Wi-Fi, so we check the signal along your routes and point out any dead spots to fix before go-live.
When does the floor cleaning happen?
Usually after close, on a schedule you set, while the dining room is empty. We set the routes around how your closers leave the room.
Can we buy, finance or use Robotics-as-a-Service?
All three. Equipment you buy or finance may qualify for 100% bonus depreciation or Section 179, and our banking partners are lined up to finance your investment, subject to credit approval. Robotics-as-a-Service payments are generally deductible as a business expense. We put the options in writing after your walkthrough.
What about the Texas franchise tax?
From the 2026 report onward, federal bonus depreciation can flow into Texas cost of goods sold, per a December 2025 Texas Comptroller memo. That’s a question for your accountant. Not tax advice.
BookFree walkthrough
Book a free restaurant walkthrough.
Tell us about your restaurant and pick a time for a 15-min call. From there we plan a free on-site walkthrough of your floor: the routes, the aisles and the jobs to start with. A written plan follows, then a written quote.
Call · Exel Robotics(832) 363-7005
Demos, deployment and serviceWith our partner RobotLAB Houston West, Stafford TX
Free walkthrough or 15-min callLive calendar