Chipotle's Futuristic Feast: The Rise Of Robotic Salad And Bowl Makers

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc CMG is testing an automated digital makeline in collaboration with Hyphen, a food robotics company that automates meal production.

Chipotle had invested in Hyphen as part of Cultivate Next, the company's $50 million venture fund.

Designed and built by Hyphen, the cobotic (collaborative robot) system is being tested at the Chipotle Cultivate Center in Irvine, California.

Bowls and salads are created by an automated system that moves the entrées through the bottom makeline, where ingredients for the order are dispensed automatically.

A Chipotle team member can leverage the top makeline to create burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and kid's meals for the same digital order.

Digital orders would be placed via the Chipotle app, Chipotle.com, or third-party platforms. If the order included a bowl or salad, those entrées would be routed to Hyphen's automated system.

Since about 65% of all Chipotle digital orders are bowls or salads, the cobotic digital makeline has the potential to free up more time for employees to service the front makeline.

"Our goal is to have the automated digital makeline be the centerpiece of all our restaurants' digital kitchens," said Chief Customer and Technology Officer Curt Garner.

Price Action: CMG shares are trading lower by 1.18% at $1,845.07 on the last check Tuesday.