Chipotle Mexican Grill (NASDAQ: CMG) recently announced the fast-casual restaurant chain will soon test a chip making robot called "Chippy" in a restaurant in Fountain Valley, California. Chippy was created by Miso Robotics.
In addition to implementing this robotics feature, Chipotle will likely be coming out with a cooking system that utilizes artificial intelligence to give employees direction, in terms of what they should cook or how many exact ingredients that they will need. Although this tactic might make things a bit easier for Chipotle workers, there are still growing concerns that usage of the artificial intelligence will cause people to lose their jobs. But this feature is important to implement, since it will likely enhance freshness of food and diminish the amount of total wasted food. The feature is currently being tested at eight Chipotle locations throughout Orange County.
In Cleveland, Ohio, Chipotle also said that 73 of its restaurant locations would be implementing various location-based technology in order to enhance the Chipotle mobile app. This technology will be built in in order to assist customers and delivery drivers when it comes to knowing if their orders are ready, if they are at the incorrect restaurant locations, or how to scan loyalty QR codes.
In general, it seems as though an increased amount of restaurants and stores is testing features like robotics and artificial intelligence in order to enhance efficiency and the types of tasks that employees are required to do. For instance, Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) is testing a system for brewing cold coffee drinks, while McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) and Panera Bread are testing automated drive-thru ordering to make the process much smoother and more efficient for customers.
While the usage of robotics in restaurants has its strengths and weaknesses, the process will overall likely be beneficial for customers in terms of speed, quality, and efficiency of orders. Chipotle's new robotics feature in particular will help customers to see just how important it is to implement robotics and keep an open mind when it comes to upcoming technologies.