Robots in the Kitchen: The Next Restaurant Revolution
At the MURTEC Executive Summit: Tech Tides, El Pollo Loco’s SVP and CIO Clark Matthews took the stage alongside Miso Robotics' CEO Rich Hull for an expansive discussion on the impact, challenges, and future opportunities robotics offer for restaurants. Miso Robotics is best known for "Flippy," its robotic arm that debuted flipping burgers in the back-of-house five years ago before quickly moving to the fry station. Now, Miso provides automated solutions for making chips, fountain drinks, and coffee, Hull explained.
“Our goal is to automate the least desirable, hardest-to-fill, most dangerous jobs in a commercial kitchen,” Hull added.
Matthews asked Hull about his vision for how robotics will shape the restaurant industry in the next five to 10 years. Hull emphasized the transformative potential, calling robotics “the most impactful change to restaurants in probably 20 years at least." He noted that while front-of-house technology evolved significantly with point-of-sale systems and online reservations around 15 to 20 years ago, back-of-house operations have largely remained the same for the past 50 years. Now, AI, robotics, and automation are set to revolutionize kitchen processes.
Installation
Hull explained that design considerations for robotics include factors such as size, speed, and ease of use. Installation and integration also play crucial roles. Restaurant operators, often not tech experts, need simple plug-and-play solutions. Matthews inquired about the downtime required to install these robotic systems. Hull shared that installation times have improved significantly—from days to mere hours. At a recent White Castle installation, the location closed on a Sunday evening and resumed operations by 8 a.m. Monday. Employees only needed to come in 45 minutes early for training, Hull explained.
Ideal Channels
Matthews then asked about the types of restaurant formats best suited for robotics. Hull pointed out that quick-service restaurants (QSRs) with fried foods are an obvious fit, but so are high-end restaurants. “It comes back to one issue: labor, labor, labor,” he added.
The Cool Factor
Hull highlighted the appeal of robotics in recruitment, sharing a story about staffing a "kitchen of the future" summer popup. Initially, there were zero applicants for a kitchen role, but after rewriting the job description to emphasize working with robots, they received 200 applications. “Those workers in the kitchen see themselves being upskilled into a different type of experience, or they think of it as a digital job, or a robotics job,” he said. In general, kitchens with robots are quieter and improve the work environment for employees, Hull added.
Big Challenges
Matthews also asked about the challenges of making robotics affordable for restaurant operators. Hull shared that Miso Robotics offers both purchase and lease options, but a location typically needs to generate $750,000 to $1 million annually to justify the investment.
This is just a small excerpt from one of the outstanding sessions at the MURTEC Executive Summit, held Oct. 21-23 in San Diego. Stay tuned for more recaps.