Fast food is now faster than ever.
There’s a new robotic way to flip burgers, minimizing human competition in the kitchen. Check out the burger bots recently launched in Silicon Valley, California. The Automatic Line Cook can handle meat preparations in under 30 seconds, totally sidestepping those human needs like breaks.
“Our aim was to bring consistency, transparency, and efficiency to food service,” explains Eliza Bestoluon, the brains behind this concept in Los Gatos. “For restaurant owners, this means clearer insights into food costs, better predictions, and ultimately, smarter decisions.”
Partnering with ABB Robotics, Shetick uses superhuman precision provided by two robot assembly units working in a unique burger-making setup. The process sees a freshly cooked meat patty moved along a conveyor belt and placed precisely into the bun.
When it comes to toppings, an intuitive flex picker—one of the robots—uses QR code data to choose items like sauces, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions.
The second bot, Yumi, applies the finishing touches. In total, a sandwich takes just 27 seconds to prepare, without any of that human inconsistency.
This assembly line opens just after California’s controversial $20 minimum wage law has stirred things up in the fast-food industry. But if you think cutting out humans will lower your bill, think again—the final product reportedly costs around $18.
This shift towards automation might unsettle some workers as machines threaten to replace various roles, including those in restaurants.
A report from the World Economic Forum predicts that automation and AI could displace around 92 million jobs by 2030, with cashiers and fast food positions among those at highest risk.
Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics, remarked, “Integrating ABB robots in the Burgerbots concept demonstrates how automation can transform industries. The food service sector is challenging, and our technology offers industrial-grade consistency and reliability.”
However, some workers are beginning to protest against this tech, as it doesn’t completely remove them from the workplace; the robots still rely on humans for other parts of service.
According to Segura, the intention behind these robots is to enhance the workforce, not replace it entirely. “In a survey, 89% of hospitality managers and 73% of staff were open to integrating robotics into their operations,” he noted.
He added, “Brobots let employees focus on important tasks by taking care of repetitive ones, which can lead to better experiences for diners.”
While this might seem like just another quirky trend from the West Coast, Segura suggests that robotic colleagues could soon be commonplace in restaurants.
“I think in the next five years, most establishments will embrace some level of robotic automation, whether for food prep, assembly, or service,” he predicted. “It’s not just a fad; it’s becoming essential.”
