Your next burrito bowl from Chipotle might not be made with human hands. The restaurant chain announced this week that it will be testing an automated kitchen line from food tech startup Hyphen.
The robots can make up to 180 bowls per hour, which is six times the rate at which a human can make them. They are also more consistent than humans with portion sizes, something Chipotle has received complaints about recently. The robots will initially be used to handle digital orders, which are a $3 billion business for the chain.
Chipotle has been piloting Hyphen’s tech in a lab in its California headquarters this year after investing in the company in 2022. This will be the first time that the robots have faced real-world Chipotle customers though. The plan is to start installing them in restaurants in the next 12 to 18 months. Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol said Hyphen’s tech “will enable us to be even more accurate. I think probably go a little bit faster, and I think give people more consistent experiences.”
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