Ottawa restaurants reacting to changing industry with private-only venues, robot servers

Playback restaurant on Bank Street is breaking the mold in the food industry by taking a new approach to their business.

The restaurant and gaming space, which was once open to the public, is now only available for private events.

Co-owner Noah Jackson says the change was due to the pandemic.

"We quickly found out that we're really designed for hosting these bigger groups," says Jackson. "They're not necessarily pigeon-holed to our food and our drink and our music."

Playback offers groups the option to book by the hour or for the entire day. It will customize the space to accommodate any type of event, from weddings to corporate events.

"We're leaving it entirely in the hands of the customer in terms of what they want to do," says Jackson. "You want to bring in pizza from next door down the way? Go for it. You want to do a full, three-course catered thing? You work with your caterer and you can make that happen."

A full day rental from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. starts at $2,000, while hourly rentals begin at $200 per hour, with a two-hour minimum.

"As people find out a bit more about the space and, you know, even as you saw when you walked in, you're like, 'Wow, this is really cool.' The more we can do that, I think the more luck we will have at attracting these groups," says Jackson.

Lifestyle spokesperson Lisa Raffaele says the pandemic has put a spotlight on the importance of the customer experience.

"We're really trying to innovate on the back end, whether that means AI, robotics, different ways of condensing menus. Looking at the experiential side of what consumers can take away, and that's really important."

SUSHI RESTAURANT EMPLOYING ROBOT SERVER

At Hockey Sushi, they are implementing new technology to enhance the customer experience. The restaurant recently introduced a robot waiter, which has been a hit with customers.

"It's popular, especially for the kids," says server Hao Wang.

Hockey Sushi started employing a robot waiter during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's been such a hit that they're keeping it. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

Hockey Sushi started using the robot during the pandemic to reduce contact with customers, and they haven't turned back since.

“We needed to be contactless with the customer,” says Wang. “So we got this robot and the people loved it. So we started to use this.”

The restaurant industry is continuously evolving, and businesses are turning to technology to enhance the customer experience. Playback and Hockey Sushi are just two examples of the innovative ways that restaurants are adapting to the changing landscape.