They’re the delivery drivers who don’t say much when they drop off your food. Despite their lack of conversation skills, self-driving robots are taking over the streets of Miami.

Yet, some residents have mixed feelings about them.

“I find them to be a little bit annoying, inconvenient,” said Isabella Priest, who lives in the area. 

“I like the robots because if you didn’t have the robots, you would have a million bicycle riders from Grubhub,” said Susan, who also lives in the area.

Technology is changing the food service landscape

Serve Robotics Inc. is one of the companies providing their AI-operated, self-driving delivery robots for service in South Florida.

“Everything is fully integrated through the Uber Eats app. Once you get to the check-out page of the merchant, there is a toggle that, as the consumer, you have the power to turn on or off,” Partnership manager Los Nevarez said. “If you leave it on, you have the possibility of getting matched with a robot for your delivery. If you are someone who tips in advance, once you get that robot delivery, you get that tip refunded to you.”

There’s no one operating these robots; they get around on their own.

“It is the computer on board, the AI that’s making the driving decisions. So, it’s taking data from all its different sensors, it’s five cameras, all of these different sensors are providing it that safe path to traverse throughout the city,” said Nevarez.

These robots operate on the sidewalks, can cross streets and typically travel 3 to 5 mph.

They only deliver to places that are no more than 1.25 miles from the restaurant.

Some restaurants seeing a boost in business

Merchants like Rice Mediterranean say the robots have boosted their business substantially.

“It’s a lot, more than a hundred orders daily,” said Pierre El Kossaifi, general manager at Rice Mediterranean.

Once the merchant loads the food into the robot, the door locks, and it’s on its way to its destination.

The person who orders it gets a notification on their phone to unlock it. You press the button on the robot, then dinner is served.

The serve robots operate off an 18-hour battery, and when you see them congregated together, they’re still “on the clock.”

Mixed reviews 

They’re the delivery drivers of the future, but they’re here today, despite mixed feelings about their existence.

“They’re bad, they should take them away! They contest the sidewalk,” said Mohamad Alrasheed.

“I like them. I don’t think they’ve gotten in the way or stopped a lot of traffic or anything like that. The more robotic and new age we get, that’s just what it’s going to be,” said Nick Cavil.

If the robots do get stuck, there is an operator who is alerted to help navigate them out.

For more information about these robots and how they operate, check out https://www.serverobotics.com.

Miami Art Week 2025 is packed with massive installations, new exhibitions, neighborhood takeovers, and special events stretching from Miami Beach to Wynwood and to North Miami.

Whether you’re heading to the fairs or exploring outside the tents, here are the standout experiences to catch this year.

“The Power of Her Hands: Black Washerwomen in Early Miami” at YoungArts Gallery

Dates: Dec. 1-7

Location: YoungArts Gallery, 2100 Biscayne Blvd., Miami

This moving exhibition spotlights the largely untold stories of Miami’s early Black washerwomen—women whose labor shaped the city’s domestic and economic foundations. Presented during Miami Art Week, the show brings archival materials, photography, and narrative installations together to honor a vital legacy often left out of history books.

Faena Art Week: “Library of Us” by Es Devlin

Dates: Dec. 2-7, 1-9 p.m.

Location: Faena Beach, 3201 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

Admission: Free; no tickets required

Faena Art marks its 10th anniversary with a monumental new commission from Es Devlin. The centerpiece, Library of Us, is a 50-foot kinetic sculpture slowly rotating within a reflective pool and filled with 2,500 books that influenced Devlin’s life and work.

Visitors sit around a glowing, circular 70-foot reading table, some chairs rotate, others remain still, creating a meditative shared space. Inside the Faena Cathedral, Devlin expands the experience with Reading Room, while the Faena Project Room displays drawings and glassworks from her creative process. After Art Week, all 2,500 books will be donated to local schools and libraries.

Miami Art Week in Wynwood

Dates: Nov. 22-Ongoing

Location: Throughout Wynwood

Wynwood remains one of the busiest hubs of Miami Art Week, with international fairs, massive murals, pop-ups, and performances filling the neighborhood.

Highlights include:

• Wynwood Mural Festival (Nov. 22-Dec. 3): Live mural painting, artist tours, and new large-scale works.

• New Wynwood Walls show curated by Jessica Goldman Srebnick, featuring Persue, Miss Birdy, Joe Iurato, Cryptik, Seth Globepainter and more.

• Margulies Collection at the Warehouse (Dec. 1-6): Three major exhibitions; free admission.

• G Camp Art Basel Fun*Raiser (Dec. 7, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.): A full-day rave nodding to Miami’s legendary party culture.

• Bakehouse Art Complex – Baker’s Brunch (Dec. 4, 9 a.m.-noon): Open studios, cafecito, and behind-the-scenes access to local artists.

Events throughout Wynwood range from free to ticketed.

MOCA North Miami: New Exhibits and Art on the Plaza

Location: 770 NE 125 St., North Miami

MOCA hosts two new exhibitions: Diana Eusebio’s “Field of Dreams” and Hiba Schanbaz’s “The Garden.” Outside, Magnus Sodamin’s Gateway (between the sun and moon) continues as part of the Art on the Plaza program.

Admission: $10; free for North Miami residents.

The Wolfsonian-FIU: Four Exhibitions and More

Location: 1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach

Visitors can explore the museum’s extensive permanent collection alongside several exhibitions, including:

• “World’s Fair: Visions of Tomorrow”

• “La Superba: Genoa and The Wolfsoniana”

• “Modern Design Across Borders”

• “Harry Clarke and the Geneva Window”

Admission: Free for Florida residents; $12 general admission; $8 for seniors, students with ID, and kids ages 6-18.

Frost Art Museum FIU: Sculpture, Exhibits and Breakfast in the Park

Location: 10975 SW 17 St., Miami

Stroll the outdoor sculpture park and explore exhibitions featuring Agustin Fernandez, Eduardo Navarro, and two additional shows: “Mosaico” and “Sonder.”

A signature Miami Art Week tradition returns on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. with Breakfast in the Park, featuring Manuela Moscoso from the Center for Art, Research and Alliances, followed by a tour of the Agustin Fernandez exhibition with guest curator Elizabeth Goizueta.

Admission: Free.

The Bass Museum of Art: Extended Hours and Daily Tours

Location: 2100 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

From Dec. 1-7, The Bass offers extended hours and a daily 1-2 p.m. highlights tour, giving visitors more time to explore its celebrated exhibitions and collections during the busiest week of the year.

INK Miami Art Fair at the Dorchester Hotel

Dates: Dec. 3-7

Location: Dorchester Hotel, 1850 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

The 17th annual INK Miami Art Fair focuses on fine art prints, featuring 20th-century masterworks and newly released editions by contemporary artists.

Admission: Free with RSVP.

Nina Johnson Gallery in Little Haiti: Three New Shows

Dates: Dec. 1-Feb. 7

Location: 6315 NW 2nd Ave., Miami

Celebrated Miami gallerist Nina Johnson debuts three new exhibitions aligned with Art Week:

• Acid Bath House: A bold, immersive environment curated by Jarrett Earnest, featuring 60 works by 25 artists—velvet sculptures, glitter paintings, liquid mirrors, holographic pieces and more.

• Neon Sun: Emmett Moore transforms the courtyard into a functional outdoor sculpture environment using recycled and industrial materials.

• Star People: Dara Friedman creates a quiet, contemplative upstairs installation offering a space to lie down, stargaze, and disconnect from Art Week’s intensity.

Admission: Free and open to the public.

AfriKin Art Fair

Dates: Nov. 30-Dec. 7

Hours: Sun. 6-9 p.m.; Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

A showcase of African and diasporic artists, AfriKin blends immersive exhibitions with cultural dialogue, sustainability conversations and high-end art experiences.

Highlights include:

• Exhibitions by emerging and established African artists

• Thought-leadership talks and cultural forums

• A red-carpet vernissage and networking event

• Curated programming aimed at collectors and connoisseurs

Tech Basel at The Gates Hotel

Date: Dec. 2, 6-8:30 p.m.

Location: The Gates Hotel South Beach, 2360 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

Admission: Free

A special Art Week edition of Tech Tuesdays, Tech Basel brings together founders, curators, collectors and digital artists for blockchain panels, tech demos, and crypto-forward activations—just steps from the Miami Beach Convention Center.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — What should have been a routine Tuesday at a Miami-Dade barbershop quickly turned violent, according to the shop’s owner, Samuel Wilson.

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Wilson, who owns Square Cutz in Perrine, said a longtime customer became upset during a haircut and began arguing with him about his hairline.

Video from inside the barbershop shows the dispute escalating.

The customer briefly left the shop. Moments later, the video shows him returning with a gun, pointing it at Wilson as two children watched nearby and another customer attempted to intervene.

“He wasn’t a man when he had that gun,” Wilson said. “He slapped me in the head with it, choked me out.”

Wilson said he recognized the man and had cut his hair “many times before.” He added that the customer was wearing a county uniform during the confrontation.

“I did not think he was going to come around here and come back,” Wilson said. “I thought we might have fisticuffs … but I didn’t think he was going to come back with a firearm. I told him, man, have a good day.”

Despite the attack, Wilson said he does not plan to leave the community where he opened his business five years ago.

“This is a safe place for anybody,” he said.

Wilson said he hopes to move forward, even as he continues to process what happened.

“I don’t hold no grudges,” he said. “I can’t say I can forgive him. But I hope the best for you, homie. Have a good day and have a good life.”

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