After a successful pilot program, White Castle just announced that robotic fry cook Flippy will work in an additional 10 restaurant locations in 2021.
Robot assistant Flippy from Miso Robotics became commercially available earlier this month for $30,000, or on a payment plan, with plans to eventually lower the price. Flippy is attached to a rail under the kitchen hood to move back and forth while manning the grill and fryer.
"After we shared a sneak peek of the prototype in January, we've seen demand through the roof from operators, especially in light of COVID-19" Miso Robotics CEO Mike Bell said in a press release. The coronavirus pandemic has hit restaurants hard, but fast-food chains have recovered faster with the drive-thru and takeout business not relying on indoor dining, compared to fast-casual chains.
White Castle says it will use Flippy to staff night shifts and food prep while employees are increasingly focused on preparing takeout and delivery orders. "Artificial intelligence and automation have been an area White Castle has wanted to experiment with to optimize our operations" Lisa Ingram, White Castle CEO, said.
Here's how Flippy works in White Castle kitchens.