The world’s first robot-operated restaurant with fully automated ordering and cooking processes has opened.
CaliExpress in California has become the first restaurant where robots are running the place. BurgerBot and Flippy – made by Miso Robotics – will be the chefs behind your burger and fries order.
Using the most advanced systems in food technology, both fry and grill stations operate fully automated processes powered by the leading advancements in robotics and AI. The new CaliExpress by Flippy restaurant is located in a prime retail location in Pasadena, California.
What to expect at CaliExpress by Flippy?
AI-powered, robotic cooking and order-taking will enable improved quality, consistency, and speed in the dining-out world. Guests at CaliExpress by Flippy can watch the robots cook their food. This is after using self-ordering kiosks, which will give customers personalized order recommendations.
The restaurant will also be able to serve quality wagyu blend burgers.
Miso Robotics states that these can compete at a price point with other premium burgers using standard meat. Therefore, when a customer orders a burger, the grill robot, BurgerBot, grinds beef in real-time, resulting in a fresher meal.
Meanwhile, Flippy, Miso’s robotic fry station, will be at work making the rest of your meal. They have also said they hope that the restaurant can serve quality food and also reveal developments in Kitchen AI.
The robots aren’t the only high-tech part of the restaurant either, as customers can make orders via PopID stations. When using one of these stations, you can set up a profile. This profile will have your picture, loyalty, and payment information stored. In the long term, this means you can just order using your face.
What does this mean for the future of robotics and AI?
The members of Cali Group have been optimistic about the potential of AI robotic cooks. More restaurant chains are incorporating robotics. Sweetgreen, the fast-casual salad chain with more than 175 locations, announced that it is expanding its use of the Infinite Kitchen. This is an assembly line robot that can produce up to 500 bowls, plates, and sides per hour. This is a 50% increase in production compared to a typical restaurant’s front and digital production line.
According to RationalStat, the North American market for cooking robots could experience a compound annual growth rate of 13% from 2019 to $150 million by 2028. This shows what the future could hold for Robotics and AI in our everyday life.
AI and robotics are challenging the idea of the traditional restaurant and dining experience. This means that the robotic industry is going to be taking over our view of the world around us and we may be too late to stop it. Interested in reading about. the AI take-over? Click here to find out more.
What does this mean for humans?
Miso Robotics says that the robots taking the job of fast food workers will protect workers from the dangers of the industry. These dangers include fast food fryers and hot oil. These technologies create a safer, easier, and friendlier work environment. Flippy the robot is a breakthrough in safety as slippage and burn injuries can be eliminated.
Valyant AI founder Rob Carpenter told Fox News this May that “millions of jobs will likely be lost over the next 5 to 10 years as robots and AI kiosks replace most fast food roles.” This means that we are going to see AI within industries involving face-to-face contact, like hospitality.
Robots are expected to replace 57% of fast-food and counter workers already. This is because of a robot’s ability to overtake multiple human jobs in one and remain 100% reliable. However, it’s important to note that there is one thing that humans can do that robots cannot. The interpersonal connections made in the workplace are irreplaceable and cannot be replicated by AI. Not yet, anyway.
