New robots to work in restaurants across the United States

New robots to work in restaurants across the United States

White Castle will use robots to flip burgers and crew the frying stations in 100 stores across the US to give burnt-out employees an 'extra hand' - as the restaurant industry struggles to hire workers.

White Castle officials say they plan to place bots at 100 sites nationwide.

Flippy 2 serves everything from burgers to homemade fries.

Robot testing initially began in September 2020 in Chicago.

The locations where the bots will be placed have yet to be shared.

Vice President of the fast food chain Jimmy Richardson insisted last week that the robot will give employees who have been overwhelmed during the COVID-19 pandemic an extra hand by taking over some daily operations in nearly a third of it. Stores.

It's "difficult" to hire new workers, Richardson said, and at least 65% of restaurant owners said they had difficulty finding new employees, according to a recent National Restaurant Association survey.

We are a 24-hour business, family owned and operated for 102 years. This is unlike anything we've seen before. We have great people and have been chosen as a great place to work for the second time in a row, but we still need to be fully equipped. But we're getting there, it didn't happen overnight, but we're making good progress.

The Ohio-based fast food chain has been piloting the Flippy robot, which costs about $3,000 per month, since September 2020, and later rolled out an expanded and improved program in November 2021.

After the program's initial success in 2020 and 2021, the company that makes Flippy, Miso Robotics, said the intended goal is to relieve stress for Flippy's human co-workers.

"Flippy will put everything in the pan, then at the right time, take it all out, shake it up a bit and then put it in the area to wrap the team members," Whitecastle vice president Jimmy Richardson said in a recent interview. With Fox and Friends.

White Castle now joins the ranks of McDonald's, Sonic, and Checkers, who have all spent the past few years working on implementing artificial intelligence in their restaurants.

Whitecastle executives also reported positive results with the rollout, with a February press release stating that Flippy had an "immediate positive impact" on the workplace environment.

"By taking over the work of the entire frying station, Flippy 2 alleviates the pain points that come with back-end roles in quick-service restaurants to create a work environment for fellow humans that maximizes kitchen efficiency," Miso Robotics said in February.

White Castle officials said that the team members also increased productivity in day-to-day operations.

Miso Robotics agreed, saying, "The improved workflow allows team members to be redeployed to focus on creating memorable moments for customers."

Company executives also reported positive results with the rollout, with a February press release stating that Flippy had an "immediate positive impact" on the workplace environment.

The bots will be installed at 100 of the company's 350 sites.

In an interview last week, Richardson said that relieving stress and increasing productivity remain two of the company's goals.

"For us, it's about helping and empowering our team members," said Richardson, posing in front of an operational Flippy 2 in the kitchen of a restaurant.

According to Miso Robotics, Flippy has more than 120 configurations built into its technology.

The AutoBin system allows the robot to change its actions for foods such as chicken, French fries, onion rings, and burgers.

The company says the boxes hold as much as a regular-sized potato and can even be customized for different kitchens.

Flippy can also locate baskets for products that cannot be contaminated, such as vegetables and fish.

Officials said Flippy would help take pressure off his human co-workers.

It is still being determined if the move to install bots will put people out of business.

The AutoBin system allows the robot to change its actions for foods such as chicken, French fries, onion rings, and burgers.

The AutoBin system allows the robot to change its actions for foods such as chicken, French fries, onion rings, and burgers.

The technology has been described as a game-changer for White Castle and the fast food industry, though some worried it could be a sign of what's coming.

But Richardson said Flippy is there to help human workers, not to steal their jobs.

"No one wants to use the 'p-word, but the pandemic has been a kick in the knees for all of us," Richardson said while speaking with Fox.

Our team members are on the front lines every single day. Giving them more tools to help serve our customers hot and delicious food is what we're all about.

White Castle currently owns and operates an estimated 344 stores across the country.

The robot has 120 configurations and can be customized to different kitchens.

Some reports state that Flippy costs $3,000 per month to operate.

In December, McDonald's sparked outrage after opening a mostly automated location in Fort Worth, Texas, with conveyor belts and touch screens for customers to order their food.

The company defended the restaurant, saying the site was not "fully automated."

While those responsible for the chains said that this is a step to simplify daily tasks, some experts and economists see it as a way to reduce labor costs.

Despite concerns about dehumanizing the company, many fast-food chain owners have had difficulty finding workers throughout the COVID pandemic.