Current:Home > StocksChipotle testing a robot, dubbed "Autocado," that makes guacamole -USAMarket
Chipotle testing a robot, dubbed "Autocado," that makes guacamole
View
Date:2025-04-17 10:48:52
Chipotle Mexican Grill's new robot can make guacamole in half the time human workers need to prepare the dish, the restaurant chain said in unveiling the device on Wednesday.
The so-called Autocado is designed to handle the labor-intensive task of preparing the avocados, slicing, coring and peeling 25 pounds of the fruit at once. By comparison, it takes employees about 50 minutes to prepare a batch of guac, according to Chipotle. Human workers will continue to apply the finishing touches, such as adding other ingredients and mixing them together, the company said.
Chipotle is using the Autocado at its test kitchen in California. The company didn't say if the machine would eventually be introduced in its roughly 3,200 locations worldwide.
"The intensive labor of cutting, coring and scooping avocados could be relieved with Autocado, but we still maintain the essential culinary experience of hand mashing and hand preparing the guacamole to our exacting standards," Curt Garner, Chipotle's chief customer and technology officer, said in a statement.
Autocado, created by robotics and automation firm Vebu Labs of California with collaboration from Chipotle, stacks a group of avocados vertically then removes their skin and core. The remaining flesh is dropped into a stainless steel bowl that a Chipotle worker takes and uses as the base for a batch of guacamole.
Vebu CEO Buck Jordan said in a statement that its technology can help create Chipotle's guacamole "more efficiently than ever before." Vebu also said it wants to improve Autocado by using artificial intelligence to teach the machine to evaluate the ripeness of avocados.
Chipotle is also testing the use of robotics for making its tortilla chips. The robotic kitchen assistant called Chippy debuted last year at a location in California.
Other restaurants are also increasingly turning to robotics and AI and robotics to cut down on routine tasks. Restaurant chain Sweetgreen opened a kitchen in the Chicago suburb of Naperville earlier this year that uses AI to make salads. The location is still staffed by humans, who put the finishing touches on the order.
CKE Restaurants, which owns Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, said in May that it's using AI called Tori at the drive-thru to take orders, while McDonald's is using similar technology at some of its drive-thrus.
Chipotle's stock price was flat Wednesday afternoon, trading at $2,070 a share.
- In:
- Robot
- Chipotle
Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.
TwitterveryGood! (741)
Related
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- Only about 2 in 10 Americans approve of Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter, an AP
- Fatal Hougang stabbing: Victim was mum of 3, moved to Singapore to provide for family
- Morgan Wallen sentenced after pleading guilty in Nashville chair
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- 'Squirrel stuck in a tree' tops funniest wildlife photos of the year: See the pictures
- Ohio Supreme Court sides with pharmacies in appeal of $650 million opioid judgment
- Social media platform Bluesky nearing 25 million users in continued post
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- How Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen Navigate Their Private Romance on Their Turf
Ranking
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- How to watch the Geminid meteor shower this weekend
- 'Squirrel stuck in a tree' tops funniest wildlife photos of the year: See the pictures
- Horoscopes Today, December 11, 2024
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Atmospheric river and potential bomb cyclone bring chaotic winter weather to East Coast
- Aaron Taylor
- Here's how to make the perfect oven
Recommendation
Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
Arizona city sues federal government over PFAS contamination at Air Force base
A Malibu wildfire prompts evacuation orders and warnings for 20,000, including Dick Van Dyke, Cher
'Yellowstone' Season 5, Part 2: Here's when the final episode comes out and how to watch
What to watch: O Jolie night
Atmospheric river and potential bomb cyclone bring chaotic winter weather to East Coast
Alex Jones keeps Infowars for now after judge rejects The Onion’s winning auction bid
Federal appeals court takes step closer to banning TikTok in US: Here's what to know