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MULTAN, Pakistan — The owners of a pizza shop in Pakistan say business is booming now that they’ve introduced a robot waitress.

Osama Jafri, the engineer who designed the 55-pound robot, says it can greet customers and carry pizzas to their tables.

The robot resembles a short, slender woman wearing a long dress and apron. He says he wrapped a scarf around the robot’s neck so as not to offend conservative patrons.

He says sales at Pizza.com, in the town of Multan, have doubled since the robot was unveiled in February. Jafri’s father Aziz, who owns the restaurant, says he has three more robot waitresses and plans to open a new branch.

He says, “I used to sell pizzas, but now restaurant owners want to buy robots from me.”

A robot waitress serves food to customers at a pizza restaurant in Multan, Pakistan, Thursday, July 6, 2017. A Pakistani engineer says sale of Pizza at his father’s shop has doubled in recent months after he introduced first ever robot to serve food to customers in the central city of Multan. (AP Photo/Iram Asim)
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_Robot-1.jpg.optimal.jpgA robot waitress serves food to customers at a pizza restaurant in Multan, Pakistan, Thursday, July 6, 2017. A Pakistani engineer says sale of Pizza at his father’s shop has doubled in recent months after he introduced first ever robot to serve food to customers in the central city of Multan. (AP Photo/Iram Asim)

Associated Press