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Key Takeaways
- Chipotle said Monday that it is testing two new automation projects in a pair of California restaurants.
- One is focused on speeding up guacamole prep by automatically slicing and peeling avocados. The other builds bowls and salads while employees make burritos and quesadillas.
- The company said it has worked to identify “time consuming and less favorable” tasks that could be taken out of employee hands to speed up orders.
Your next Chipotle (CMG) order could be made by robot hands.
The chain on Monday said it is testing robots at a pair of California locations. One is intended to speed up the guacamole-making process, while the second could make prepping customers’ orders more efficient, the company said.
The “cobotics,” or collaborative robotics, are being tested for employee and customer feedback before the company determines how to proceed with a wider pilot, according to Chipotle’s Chief Customer and Technology Officer Curt Garner.
Chipotle Looks to Speed Up Prep Process
One machine, the “autocado,” automatically cuts and skins an avocado in less than half a minute. The company said its goal with creating the robot was to identify “time consuming and less favorable” tasks for employees, with avocado peeling the first labor-intensive task being targeted.
In a demo video provided by the company, a case of avocados is emptied into the machine while an employee works to prep other ingredients. The avocado is still mashed by hand, and the other prepared ingredients are added to make the guacamole.
The other machine, the “augmented makeline,” operates under a table full of ingredients by taking in information about an order, and automatically making a bowl or salad, moving the bowl under the counter and dispensing ingredients. Simpler orders, like bowls and salads, account for some 65% of mobile orders, the company said, meaning it could give employees time to make more complicated orders that involve folding or wrapping tortillas like burritos, tacos, and quesadillas.
Chipotle shares were recently up about 2%. They have recovered from last month’s dip from when CEO Brian Niccol announced his departure for Starbucks (SBUX).