In 2012, Momentum Machines debuted a robot that could crank out 400 made-to-order hamburgers under an hour. It’s fully independent, meaning the machine can slice toppings, work with grill and serve burger without any help from humans.
The company has been working on its first retail site since at least June of last year. There is still no scheduled opening date for the flagship, though it’s expected to be located in San Francisco’s South of Business neighborhood.
San Franciscans have been warming up to the idea of a restaurant expertise with minimal human interactions for years. In 2015, futuristic food-chain Eatsa opened midtown. The vegetarian restaurant, which concentrates in quinoa bowls, automates the ordering and pick-up method. It’s since expanded to New York and Washington, DC.
In San Francisco, robots also run food deliveries for Yelp’s Eat24 and pour a drink at Cafe X. These changes, along with other proof that AI could displace a huge group of workers,They have even prompted a San Francisco politician to consider a “robot tax” to help offset the economic devastation a robotic workforce might cause.
Although Momentum Machines reduces the need for line cooks, front-of-house and custodial staff will likely still be required. The organization also told that letting robots fill in for humans in the kitchen may actually promote job growth because the automation would allow the company to hire new workers to continue developing their technology and to help additional restaurant locations. The full impact of a robot-powered cuisine remains to be seen, nevertheless.
A Craigslist job posting from Momentum Machines last summer gave us a glimpse into what the establishment might be like.