RoboBurger Promises Robot-Made Burgers in 7 Minutes or Less
While vending machines can dispense warm food items, RoboBurger is taking the concept one step further. This all-in-one fridge, griddle and cleaning device will take your order, cook your burger from scratch and deliver it in about 7 minutes -- all without a human to take your order, man the grill or serve it to you.
"We're not we're not here to really replace the service industry," CEO Audley Wilson said. "We're really here to supplement its needs, and we provide a hot, high protein burger in places where no one else can. So it's not really here to replace the lunch rush. It's here to just get you a burger at convenient locations when you need it."
RoboBurger has been in development for 17 years. Its latest prototype has found a home in Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City, N.J. The current burger uses a Pat LaFrieda beef patty and Martin's potato roll. It can dispense melted cheese, ketchup or mustard on request. The device is certified by the National Sanitary Foundation (NSF) according to U.S. food safety regulations.
WIlson sees it as an opportunity to help the service industry which has been struggling with staffing issues since the pandemic began, as well as provide other higher-paying jobs in the area, including robotics-based jobs. In addition, it needs maintenance staff to run the machines.
"We have our manufacturing arm which is based in New York. and what we do is we build our units," he said. "We source locally, and we hire great employees here in the New York area and teach them how to build robots and be on our operations team."
In the future, it hopes to add more condiments as well as other kinds of proteins, including plant-based meat and chicken burgers. It is aiming for 100 units in use by the end of the year, expanding to thousands starting in 2023.
"We really hope to be one of the largest burger chains in the country," he said.
As the popularity of Bitcoin and other digital tokens grew this year, more financial institutions and payment apps added ways for customers to trade or make payments using cryptocurrency. Meanwhile, companies like theater chain AMC started accepting major cryptocurrencies for tickets and concessions, and retailers are rumored to be entering the space soon. What does this mean for cryptocurrency's wider adoption — and will 2022 be the year that the average consumer is exposed to digital coin payments on a regular basis? João Almeida, Co-Founder and CTO of OpenNode joins Cheddar News' Crypto Craze: The Year of the Token to discuss.
Bitcoin had a successful 2021: reaching a new high of nearly $70,000, a $1 trillion market cap, and becoming legal tender in El Salvador. Investors also got the chance to invest in three Bitcoin futures-backed ETFs once they were approved. These developments set up the world's best-known digital coin for more success in 2022, but could altcoins like Ethereum, Litecoin, and others move into the top spot or impact Bitcoin's value? Matt Hougan, CIO of Bitwise Asset Management, joins Cheddar's Crypto Craze: The Year of the Token to discuss his 2022 outlook for Bitcoin, whether we could see an ETF backed by a physical coin, and more.
Coming off a 2021 campaign where the prices of Bitcoin, Ether, and other cryptocurrencies reached unpreceded levels, Bitwise Asset Management CIO Matt Hougan and OpenNode Co-Founder & CTO João Almeida join Cheddar News' Crypto Craze: The Year of the Token to discuss the ways the crypto market can soar even higher in 2022.
Howard Yu, LEGO professor of management and innovation at IMD Business School and author of "Leap: How to Thrive in a World Where Everything Can Be Copied," joined Cheddar to discuss the mania surrounding the concept of the metaverse. He particularly noted how companies in the retailing sector like Nike are leveraging it. "I think metaverse really opens up a window for brands to think about how can they, ongoing-wise, engage with the consumer, engage with the target audience, so their brand continues to stay refreshed in the changing environment," Yu said.
2021 was no walk in the park for the tech sector. However, despite the industry dealing with worldwide chip shortage and supply chain crisis, many companies managed to push innovations forward. All these innovations are also expected to accelerate its coolness in 2022. Editor at Large at CNET Ian Sherr, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
