BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Chipotle to test out automated system on entree assembly line

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

maylen

https://digital-stage.newsnationnow.com/

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241114185800

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241115200405

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118165728

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118184948

Chipotle is testing out a new automated system to prepare some of its menu items that are placed online, in hopes of streamlining the assembly process and giving employees the ability to focus on other tasks.

The fast-casual restaurant announced Tuesday it would be testing a new system from Hyphen, a food-service platform that works by automating some kitchen operations.

The automated system will be tasked with assembling burrito bowls and salads that are typically handled by employees.

The system will only be used on orders placed online through the company’s website, app or other third-party food ordering platforms, the company said.

In a release issued Tuesday, Chipotle laid out the workflow for when the automated system would come into play and how the process works.

A chipotle bowl is filled with ingredients as it travels along Chipotle's experimental automated system. (Promotional image from Chipotle)
A Chipotle bowl is filled with ingredients as it travels along Chipotle’s experimental automated system. (Promotional image from Chipotle)

If a customer places an online order that includes a bowl or salad, those entrees would be routed to Hyphen’s automated system. The bowl will begin its journey below an active workstation and would then move along a conveyor belt-esque system that dispenses the appropriate amount of ingredients along the way. At the same time, an actual employee can use the top of the same station to assemble other entree items, like burritos, tacos or quesadillas.

The completed bowl would then be raised from the bottom of the automated machine to an opening in the countertop, where a Chipotle employee would place the lid and finish putting together the entire order, including chips and sides.

Chipotle says the new system will free up more time for employees to focus on customer service and other entrees that require more hands-on assembly.

Bowls or salads comprise about 65% of all Chipotle digital orders, and streamlining the assembly process would increase the capacity for digital orders when restaurants are busiest, and improve the accuracy of digital orders.

Curt Garner, chief customer and technology officer for Chipotle, said the Hyphen automated system will help “unlock the human potential of our workforce, ensuring an elevated dining experience for our guests.” He said the hope is that these new automated systems will become the “centerpiece” of all the restaurants’ “digital kitchens.”

Once completed, the  chipotle bowl or salad raises up from its assembly system to an employee who is working on additional items. (Promotional image from Chipotle)
Once completed, the bowl or salad raises up from its assembly system to an employee who is working on additional items. (Promotional image from Chipotle)

Chipotle, which has more than 3,250 locations in North America and Europe, is a major investor in Hyphen and its automated technology.

Testing of the automated system will officially take place at the “Chipotle Cultivate Center,” the company’s official test kitchen in Irvine.

Business

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241119133138

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Sunny

la

70°F Sunny Feels like 70°
Wind
6 mph SW
Humidity
30%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 47F. Winds light and variable.
47°F A few passing clouds. Low 47F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
2 mph N
Precip
9%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Gibbous