Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) is testing out a new robot that could one day build you a burrito bowl, the company announced.
The fast-casual burrito chain is testing an automated assembly line for digital orders in partnership with the food service platform Hyphen.
The assembly line works in two layers. On top, an employee makes burritos, tacos, etc as they normally would, while below, the automated assembly line creates burrito bowls and salads by positioning bowls under each ingredient and dispensing the appropriate portion. When it’s done, the finished product is raised up to the counter.
"Chipotle's new digital makeline built by Hyphen embodies our commitment to leveraging robotics to unlock the human potential of our workforce, ensuring an elevated dining experience for our guests," Chief Customer and Technology Officer Curt Garner said in a statement. "Our goal is to have the automated digital makeline be the centerpiece of all our restaurants' digital kitchens."
Bowls and salads make up nearly two-thirds of all Chipotle digital orders, the company said. Digital sales as a whole made up 38% of total food and beverage revenue.
Burrito bowl production isn’t the first task Chipotle has explored handing over to robots. The company is also piloting Autocado, an avocado processing bot, and Chippy, a robot designed to make tortilla chips.
For now, though, customers will have to settle for a burrito bowl made by a human, with the automated assembly line still months away from being tested in a full-fledged restaurant, according to reports.
Shares of Chipotle fell 1.8% Tuesday afternoon to $1,834.
Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com
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