Trendincite LLC identified Robots Lend A Helping Hand as one of its top 5 trends for 2024. As we approach the final quarter, robots are making inroads in Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs). According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), in 2023, worldwide sales of professional service robots grew by 30%, and medical robots by 36%. More than 54,000 Hospitality robots were sold in 2023, a 31% increase. QSRs are turning to robots to speed up operations and customer wait times, maximize efficiency, address staffing challenges, and cut labor costs. From slicing and dicing and salad prep to churning out coffee, slinging burgers, and making pizzas to serving and delivering, robots are enhancing the dining experience. Automating repetitive tasks employees dislike, such as prepping and cleaning is a win-win.
ROBOTS PREP, COOK AND SERVE
Chipotle is a trailblazer in its use of technology. In 2022, Chipotle piloted Chippy, a tortilla chip-making robot but decided not to deploy it because the cost of setting it up and cleaning it up was more than the labor savings it provided. This year, in California, Chipotle is testing two new cobots, “collaborative robots” to help staff prep orders. In Huntington Beach, the Autocado cuts, cores, and peels avocados in 26 seconds for the kitchen staff to mash into guacamole. In Corona del Mar, the Augmented Makeline is an assembly line that preps bowls and salads and the kitchen workers place a lid on the bowls. In 2023, Sweetgreen opened its first fully automated Infinite Kitchen restaurant in Naperville, IL. After a successful pilot, Sweetgreen plans to open between 23 and 27 new restaurants in 2024, seven of which will contain Infinite Kitchen technology. In August, Sweetgreen debuted its first Infinite Kitchen restaurant in midtown NYC. According to the company, the kitchens can produce 400 to 500 bowls an hour, 50% more than a regular restaurant. 101 Chicken in Fort Lee, NJ uses a robot arm to cook Korean fried chicken. Owner Paul Choi is a foodie with a computer science background who helped design the robot arm. Humans make the batter and flour the chicken, but the robot arm fries the chicken to keep the flavor consistent. Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream is testing a robot built by Bear Robotics to bus tables, deliver orders, and sing “Happy Birthday,” at its Bettendorf, IA location.
CaliExpress by Flippy is “the world’s first fully autonomous restaurant.” Operated by Miso Robotics in Pasadena, CA, the QSR restaurant’s grill and fry stations are fully automated, with Flippy, the AI-powered robotic fry station, and a grill robot that grinds beef in real time. This technology ensures that each burger patty is freshly made and fries are cooked to precision. Tigawok in Los Angeles, CA is a QSR that uses automated robot chefs to prepare dishes within minutes. Tigawok is described as “If Panda Express and Chipotle had a baby, but offered more traditional Chinese cuisine.” Customers can choose from 15 to 18 Chinese staples. Eight to 10 menu items are fixed while the other eight change seasonally. The robots can add up to 16 kinds of seasoning, stir-fry, stew, boil, and simmer with heat control of up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. The machines will automatically wash and sanitize the work station in under 30 seconds afterward. Earlier this year, Chipotle founder and ex-CEO Steve Ells debuted Kernel, a robot-powered plant-based QSR in NYC. “Customer orders are sent to the kitchen, where a robotic arm prepares the food and places pans in the oven. A toaster warms buns while conveyor belts move dishes. Employees add final touches, package the orders, and place them in cubbies for customers to collect,” according to the press release. After receiving customer feedback, the restaurant temporarily closed this summer to revamp the space and change a few menu items. It reopened and launched a second NYC location at the end of the summer.
ROBOTS SERVE DRINKS
In 2021, Jarvis, a barista bot by Artly Coffee, launched at Joe’s coffee shop in Portland, OE. Artly now has 13 locations, which feature Jarvis in the U.S. and Canada. In NYC, shoppers are entertained by Jarvis at the Muji in Hudson Yards. “The one-armed mechanical wonder dances, makes eye contact with customers through its sole camera lens as they order on a connected iPad, and even compliments the preferences of beverage enthusiasts.” In NYC, Sip Coffee uses a cutting-edge robotic barista named Jittery, who specializes in pour-over coffee. One Kitchen, which operates 240 ghost kitchen locations in the U.S., has ADAM, a robotic beverage system within a Walmart store in Rockford, IL. The robot serves 100 to 200 cups of coffee and boba tea per day. Hyundai and Kia have unveiled their latest innovation, the upgraded coffee delivery robot, DAL-e Delivery designed to transport items around offices and shopping centers. The DAL-e Delivery coffee robot can accommodate up to 16 cups of coffee, navigate in crowded areas, and recognize obstacles.
Not a QSR or beverage robot, Hum Hum by Heinz is an interesting robotic snack dipper designed for gamers. Heinz’s research revealed that 90% of gamers struggled to eat snacks while playing and 75% wished they could dip sauces while gaming. Gamers can activate the mechanical hand via its pedals, which dips and feeds gamers while they play. Future versions of Hum Hum are expected to recognize voice commands and face recognition.
Although not mainstream yet, robots are here. Watch as QSRs and coffee shops utilize robots for their skills in repetitive tasks and delivering a uniform product.
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