As the restaurant and hospitality sector greatly moves to integrate and replace physical workers with autonomous robotics, fast food chains none more so than Chipotle are embracing the elimination of physical staff with their latest introduction: a robotic assembly line that crafts their signature burrito bowls.
As noted by The WinePress across several reports, Chipotle has already trialed and integrated new technologies to speed-up the food production process; namely their robotic chip maker called “Chippy,” an AI-powered guacamole machine called the “Autocado,” and has introduced specialty RFID packaging for better tracking and inventory processes. The company has even distributed some free Bitcoins and other cryptos.
According to a press release published yesterday, October 3rd, the company announced they have partnered with Hyphen, a company that specializes in automating kitchen services.
Bowls and salads are created by an automated system that moves the entrées through the bottom makeline where ingredients for the order are dispensed automatically. In tandem, a Chipotle team member can leverage the top makeline to create burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and kid’s meals for the same digital order.
The company explained in their press release
This automated process will, the company says, will “help enhance digital order accuracy, improving the guest experience.”
Furthermore, Chipotle says roughly 65% of their digital orders are bowls or salads, so the company believes this could “free up more time for employees to service the front makeline and deliver exceptional hospitality, while simultaneously increasing capacity for digital orders during peak periods,” they write.
Chipotle explains how the process works:
- Digital orders would be placed via the Chipotle app, Chipotle.com, or third-party platforms.
- If the order included a bowl or salad, those entrées would be routed to Hyphen’s automated system. The bowl traverses along the bottom makeline and positions itself under the specified ingredient container. The intelligent dispensers dynamically portion each ingredient into the bowl. If the order included burritos, tacos, quesadillas, or kid’s meals, a Chipotle team member would use the top of the same makeline to create those entrées.
- The completed bowl or salad would be raised from the bottom makeline and revealed at the end of the makeline through an opening in the countertop. A Chipotle team member would place a lid on the entrée and add any final items such as chips, side salsas, or guacamole to the order.
- Completed orders would be placed in their designated pick-up area: in-restaurant pickup shelves, walk-up window, or Chipotlane.
Chipotle’s new digital makeline built by Hyphen embodies our commitment to leveraging robotics to unlock the human potential of our workforce, ensuring an elevated dining experience for our guests.
Our goal is to have the automated digital makeline be the centerpiece of all our restaurants’ digital kitchens.
Curt Garner, Chief Customer and Technology Officer, said
Yahoo News reported: ‘Chipotle’s chief customer and technology officer Curt Garner told Yahoo Finance that as digital sales growth picked up during the pandemic, the team realized it was time to figure out “how to set up the crew members on the digital line to be successful.”‘
The best solutions for restaurants and guests are those that have a co-pilot or are co-biotic in nature. It’s about capabilities that improve human experiences.
He told Yahoo
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
Proverbs 21:25
Though the company has not declared that they will be going fully automated, anyone with some sense can see where this is going, when you have the restaurant chain literally testing and working to replace the most labor intensive parts of the job. Moreover, fast food chains and restaurants across the board are going autonomous, so the Chipotle CEO is just trying to save face and downplay this formality.
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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Last week I went to a chipotle and the man making my burrito looked like a drug addict and he had a look in his eyes like he hated me so I’m all for robots taking over. People are so awful these days the less human interaction the better in most circumstances.
yep
.
we engineers and programmers warned the burger flipper types to move up with more or better training because we were designing their replacements. Being the low IQ types they were, they just kept keepin’ on.
I’m beginning to think this is why the NWO types want to kill off so many. They need to seriously thin the welfare herd.
I’m not a burger flipper but I’m someone who builds work after “engineers” design them. Quit propping yourself up as if you’re something other than a pencil pushing moron.
Nice thing about a robot food assembly server is that it won’t get offended when the plate is thrown on it with the customer screaming; I’m not eating this “S**t it doesn’t even look good”. It will just start the next order if it’s arms aren’t pulled off by the disgruntled person.
lol
Never had Chiptole because of all the food poisoning issues a few years back, glad I never spent a cent there to help them along.
When the robot spits into your food we will have come full circle.
lol
Guess the push for $15 minimum wage wasn’t such a great idea.
Californication just came out with a $20 minimum wage, but it’s also the state with the most automation and more to come, so it’s just a ploy to buy votes.
Chipotle is one of my favorite fast food restaurants but has really gone down hill. I travel all over the country – so this is not a regional thing – they are always out of key ingredients, and if you visit within an hour before closing with 10-15 people in line and it’s like “you get whatever we have left and that’s it”. Terrible customer experience. I’ve started going elsewhere. Maybe robots will do a better job.
Automated botulism dispenser is what they have.