Chipotle Founder to Open Meat-Free Robot Restaurant Chain
Steve Ells, the founder and ex-CEO of the fast casual food giant Chipotle, is set to revolutionize the restaurant industry once again with the launch of a new startup called Kernel. This chain of restaurants will feature meat-free sandwiches made by robots with only a skeleton crew of human employees.
Each Kernel location is expected to have three human workers assisted by robots to prepare items such as meat-free burgers, faux chicken sandwiches, salads, acai bowls, and sides such as cucumbers with wild rice. The stores will be designed to run on fewer resources and reduce waste, making the operation more efficient.
Ells, who is investing $10 million of his own money into Kernel and has raised an additional $36 million from investors, plans to open the first location in Manhattan and expand to at least a dozen more throughout New York over the next two years.
The new concept aims to utilize robotics to bring down costs, improve efficiency, and reduce human interaction in the food preparation process. A robotic arm will handle food preparation, cooking and heating, while human workers will add the finishing touches and package the food for customers to pick up.
This move comes as the fast food industry faces higher food prices, minimum wage hikes, and difficulty in staffing. Other fast food chains, such as White Castle, have also been experimenting with kitchen robots to cut costs and improve productivity.
In Kernel’s case, Ells plans to invest the efficiency savings into higher salaries and better benefits for staff compared to other fast-food chains. He also believes that the concept will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and has drawn inspiration from Bill Gates’ book, “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster”, which advocates for new technological strategies to address climate change.
While some might perceive the move as risky, Ells is hopeful that the focus on legumes and vegetables over newer plant-based meat alternatives will appeal to customers. The recent decline in retail sales volumes of meat alternatives might pose a challenge, but market research predicts that the plant-based burger patty market will increase significantly in the coming years. Ells is confident in the potential success of Kernel’s innovative concept and environmentally-friendly approach to food.