Is making burgers now a job for robots?
For years there has been speculation that technological advancements would eventually automate away fast food jobs. The launch of a new robotic burger chef will doubtless have people wondering if that possible future is here.
Bay Area culinary robotics startup Creator has opened a restaurant of the same name, built around a robot capable of creating a custom burger — with a price tag of $6 — from start to finish, according to Bloomberg. The robot is capable of slicing and toasting the bun, grinding the meat, adding seasoning, cooking the patty and adding toppings all to order.
A YouTube video from TechCrunch shows a demonstration of the Creator robot. Buns and burgers are pushed down a Rube Goldberg-esque conveyor belt that carries out a step-by-step preparation, while artificial intelligence (AI) sensors monitor characteristics like “doneness.” In the video,
Addressing the labor market issue, Creator’s inventor argues that the concept has a sizeable in-house staff paid $16 an hour and that, in general, the removal of the need for repetitive work like burger flipping will allow people to take on more fulfilling roles.
It is not clear if there are plans to offer the technology as a turn-key solution for other quick serve or fast casual restaurants.
Some other fast food restaurants have been taking other steps in the direction of automation. Most notably, in 2016, McDonald’s began piloting its “Store of the Future,” featuring automated touch screen kiosks for ordering (alongside other new features like table service and more varied burger toppings).
Creator isn’t the first attempt at creating a robotic fast food chef. Last year Miso Robotics released Flippy, a simpler but effective robotic burger-flipping mechanism. In June, The Wall Street Journal reported that Caliburger planned to implement Flippy in 10 of its 50 restaurants by the end of 2018.
- The World’s First Robotic Burger is Ready to Hit the Bay Area – Bloomberg
- McDonald’s to add self-order kiosks to 1,000 stores each quarter – CNBC
- The McDonald’s of the Future leans fast-casual – RetailWire
- A robot cooks burgers at startup restaurant Creator – YouTube
- Juicero, maker of the doomed $400 internet-connected juicer, is shutting down – The Verge
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Is Creator among the first steps toward total automation of fast food jobs? Are there reasons why fast food and quick serve restaurants might avoid adopting similar solutions?
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13 Comments on "Is making burgers now a job for robots?"
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Strategy Architect – Digital Place-based Media
Fast-prep foods (including pizza) is a natural space for more automation. As minimum wages and the challenges of staffing and training increase, streamlined automated production will be increasingly applied, fueled by the low cost of capital.
VP of Strategy, Aptos
Principal, Anne Howe Associates
I love this idea, and I hope Creator gives the robot a catchy name and “persona” that will create some happy feelings that signify inclusion, not “job stealer” anxiety! Staff should also be trained to talk about this technology as a quality enhancer for the operation. Last thought — open the kitchen up so people can see the robot in action!
President, The Ian Percy Corporation
Principal, Cathy Hotka & Associates
What Nikki said.
There’s a place for robotics, but nobody thinks they’re going to replace humans en masse in the foreseeable future. Consult the boardroom scene in RoboCop …
Founder, CEO, Black Monk Consulting
Head of Trends, Insider Trends
I think that robotics/automation are best as part of a hand-in-hand strategy with humans. For example I see McDonald’s use of touchscreens for ordering as part of a strategy to free up staff to fulfill orders (rather than take them) and therefore get food to customers faster. Now of course you could say that those touchscreen orders could go to a robot like Creator to actually cook. But at the same time the more automation that you introduce the more you need humans to oversee it and step in when things go wrong. Certainly I think we’ll see more happen in the fast food space but hopefully with companies not trying to run before the tech can walk!
Managing Director, GlobalData
If the burgers taste good, I don’t see why this won’t catch on. However, even if it does, it is not the disaster some will make it out to be. For a start, back-end automation does not mean front-end automation. A fast food outlet without any staff to interact with will not be everyone’s preference. Moreover, robotic technology will new create opportunities and jobs elsewhere.
I’d also like to see the financials of this. What is the return on capital? The investment required for maintenance? Does the sunk cost impact the business metrics? And so on, and so forth!
Professor, International Business, Guizhou University of Finance & Economics and University of Sanya, China.
Let’s not kid ourselves. Most of what we eat in fast food restaurants is already made by robots in factories. This is just the next step.
Retail Transformation Thought Leader, Advisor, & Strategist
This is one more step in automating the supply chain of bringing quick service food to our tables. Whenever people talk about robots and AI replacing humans, I think of all the automation that occurs in the production of so much of our food supply. At one time, there were more human jobs in those areas than there are today. It’s just the natural evolution of the workforce. Throughout history, post-industrial revolution, jobs have evolved from very repetitive and low-wage to more highly skilled, requiring more thought and therefore more expensive labor. This will be no different. I see robots replacing some of these repetitive tasks in restaurant kitchens so the labor force can spend more time serving customers and making the experience a more pleasant one all around. Will some jobs be lost? Yes, but many will also be created as a result!
Retail Strategy - UST Global
Food Odyssey 2030, when you order that burger and fries via Alexa and the automated burger chef says: “We’re sorry, you didn’t follow our instructions on the GPS despite three reroutes, and your last cholesterol test came back a little bit high. You can’t have the cheeseburger and fries today, perhaps a soy burger and a salad?” Compliance is mandatory — resistance is futile.
Principal, Your Retail Authority, LLC
There are some jobs that robots can handle well and this might be one of them. Anything that can be defined and done repetitively. Of course the robot could not be left alone to man the store but they could certainly flip burgers. The obvious question is, how much will the robot cost and how much will it cost to maintain? If these numbers are less than the cost of an employee, then go for it. For my 2 cents.
Director of Communications, Black Coffee Communications