WALMART has confirmed it will use robots to make food and drinks in 20 of its restaurants.
The robots, run by tech company Richtech Robotics, will be used in “ghost kitchens” in Arizona, Colorado and Texas.
Walmart has confirmed it will use robots to prepare food and drinks in twenty of its restaurants[/caption]
The robots are projected to make 100 to 200 cups of coffee every day[/caption]
Walmart first launched its ghost kitchens in 2021 – virtual restaurants with minimal person-to-person contact – in partnership with the brand Ghost Kitchens.
These stores allow customers to order takeout meals from a variety of chains and food brands – all available for collection at one site.
And this is not the first time that the multinational retailer has used robots to aid efficiency in its ghost kitchens.
Richtech Robotics already operates a robotic bartender, called ADAM, in two Walmart location in Dawnsville, Georgia and Rockford, Illinois.
The automated beverage system is projected to serve between 100 and 200 cups of coffee and tea each day.
It is also set to appear in a new location in Peachtree, Georgia, opening this year.
However, the new agreement between Richtech Robotics and Ghost Kitchens America extends its operations to 20 additional Walmart locations.
Ghost Kitchens America CEO George Kottas said he hoped the decision would drive between $700,000 and $2 million in annual revenue at each location.
Meanwhile, Richtech Robotics president Matt Casella said: “We expect these platforms to become a fast-growing and stable revenue stream for us as we leverage them to manage thousands, and eventually tens of thousands, of restaurant operations in the future.”
GHOST KITCHENS
Ghost kitchens generally carry out customers’ takeout orders from restaurants – at independent, stripped-back locations with no storefronts or dine-in option.
They gained popularity during the Covid pandemic, due to the low cost of setting them up.
As dine-in restaurants closed at a rapid rate and delivery orders skyrocketed, ghost kitchens were heralded as the savior of the restaurant industry.
Other ghost kitchens are run from inside a supermarket or restaurant itself, simply speeding up orders and collections.
But the ghost kitchen industry dipped last year, with customers increasingly confused by where their food was coming from.
In November, retailer Kroger announced it was removing ghost kitchens from its stored after only a year.
ROBOTS IN RESTAURANTS
Robots have been increasingly used in the food industry over the past few years.
In 2018, burger chain Wendy’s began using robotic to technology to clean its ovens.
Meanwhile, Dunkin’ Donuts automated several processes including producing expiry labels and measuring coffee quality.
This year, at the World Robot Conference in China, a robot showed off its incredible cooking skills by preparing vegetables for humans to eat.
In other robot-related news, Elon Musk last week revealed a creepy new robot that can even babysit children.
