Dancing robot bartenders to be new ‘entertainment center’ on Las Vegas Strip

It had to happen.

Las Vegas has long been a showcase for innovation, so it’s only natural the Strip would be the home of the first land-based robotic bar in the world.

That means robots will mix and pour drinks for you. And Rino Armeni, the veteran local food and wine professional who’s driving the Robotic Innovations project, said mechanical mixology won’t be the only attraction at the Miracle Mile Shops spot.

“It’s going to be a very high-tech place as well,” he said. “Very exciting. More than a bar, it’s going to be an entertainment center. It’s almost the Fountains of Bellagio. People have to see the Fountains of Bellagio when they come to Las Vegas.”

Armeni said the robots alone will be a source of entertainment.

“The way they prepare the drinks, the way they move; they can actually dance, as well, with the music,” he said. “It’s very, very interesting.”

And they’ll be able to do a lot more than pour a beer.

“You can communicate with them in a certain way,” he said, although he declined to elaborate in the interests of retaining a few surprises. “So they can prepare whatever drink you like.”

Armeni, who’s also founder and chairman of the board of the Las Vegas Business Academy, confirmed that the bar will be in a former men’s store.

“We start demolition in a few days,” he said Tuesday. “It will have a very high-tech look. We want it to be a surprise.”

Project spokeswoman Katie Conway said the robotic bar will be similar to those aboard some Royal Caribbean International cruise ships.

The working name of the operation, Armeni said, is “Tipsy Robots,” but he added monikers for each of the two robots remain to be chosen.

“Eventually, we may have the school of engineering at UNLV name those two robots,” he said.

Armeni said he expects an opening between the middle and end of June.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.