![\"BellaBot](\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/a6twvr3pj5hjesya.jpg\")
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SANFORD, Fla. – Hollerbach’s German Restaurant in downtown Sanford is testing a new employee who doesn’t take breaks, doesn’t call in sick and has quickly become a favorite with customers.<\/p>\n
The restaurant recently added “Bella,” a BellaBot robot food runner, to help transport meals from the kitchen to the bar during the restaurant’s busiest hours.<\/p>\n
What they’re saying:<\/p>\n
Restaurant owner Theo Hollerbach said the robot was brought in to solve a recurring problem during peak service, when bartenders and servers had to leave their stations to carry food, sometimes allowing meals to cool before reaching customers.<\/p>\n
“We get busy, and I noticed that we have a problem with our staff getting food from the kitchen to the bar,” Hollerbach said. “My food was getting cold, or my staff was not at the bar when they were in the kitchen. And I was going, ‘How do I fix this?'”<\/p>\n
Bella travels along a pre-programmed 150-foot route between the kitchen and bar, delivering orders while employees remain focused on serving guests. Hollerbach describes the robot as his “horizontal elevator.”<\/p>\n
The restaurant is leasing the robot for a three-month trial at $600 per month. If Hollerbach decides to keep Bella permanently, the robot would cost about $16,000.<\/p>\n
Hollerbach said the investment has already improved service by allowing staff to spend more time interacting with customers instead of running food.<\/p>\n
“Food gets out on time. My staff is in front of guests,” he said. “Most guests get a picture with it. They move the hat. They touch the ears. It makes sounds and stuff. We like it.”<\/p>\n
Bella features a digital smiling face and interactive features, including movable ears and a hat that guests can touch.<\/p>\n
Hollerbach said the restaurant did not previously employ a dedicated food runner for the kitchen-to-bar route. Instead, servers and bartenders helped each other deliver orders.<\/p>\n
“I didn’t have an employee that did this before. My servers or bartenders would have to help each other out,” Hollerbach said. “I guess I’m spending an extra $600, but I feel I’m providing better guest service because my staff has more time.”<\/p>\n
What’s next:<\/p>\n
The restaurant has not decided whether Bella will remain on staff after the trial period, a decision that could come as Sanford’s busy Oktoberfest season gets underway.<\/p>\n
The Source: This story was reported by Amanda McKenzie for FOX 35 News. She interviewed Theo Hollerbach, the owner of Hollerbach\u2019s German Restaurant in Sanford. All of the information in the broadcast\u2014including details about the robot’s functionality, its $600 monthly trial cost versus the $16,000 permanent purchase price, the 150-foot pre-programmed path, the operational challenges that led to the decision, and quotes from the owner\u2014originated from this FOX 35 news package reporting.<\/p>\n
Seminole County NewsSanfordBusinessTechnologyFood and Drink <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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