Dive Brief:
- Re-Up convenience stores, which operates nine locations in the Southeast, plans to install autonomous robotic chefs at several of its sites, according to a Tuesday announcement.
- Re-Up plans to bring robots into its kitchens, coffee-making process and fresh juicing program, Co-Founder and President Narendra Manney said via email. The retailer has already announced plans to use robots from AI firm Nala Robotics in the kitchen, and is in talks with other developers for the coffee and juice programs, he noted.
- This comes amid Re-Up’s broader plans to increase its c-store count to “more than 200 stores in the coming years,” Manney said in the announcement.
Dive Insight:
Calling itself a “c-store for the new generation,” Re-Up is tapping into robotic chefs to bring “clean and healthy alternatives” to the traditional convenience retailing experience, Founder and Managing Director Michael Salafia said in Tuesday’s announcement.
"By harnessing the power of AI, we are able to provide our customers with convenient, personalized, and safe shopping and dining experiences,” he said. “We believe this groundbreaking concept will revolutionize the way people shop and fuel up."
Nala Robotics’ Wingman fry station can be configured to any restaurant or commercial foodservice setup, according to the announcement. It’s equipped with sensors, precision cooking mechanisms and machine learning algorithms that let it prepare food without human intervention.
Manney said via email that as Re-Up looks to grow its store count — it has over 30 locations “in the pipeline” — it remains “steadfast” on robotics-driven food programs, which will focus on cleanliness, speed and ensuring accuracy and consistency.
Miami Beach, Florida-based Re-Up operates nine convenience stores across Florida and Mississippi. The company has also targeted Louisiana in its broader expansion plans.
Although fairly new in the convenience store space, robotic chefs have begun emerging across the restaurant industry over the past year. Brands like Chick-fil-A and Sweetgreen have deployed robots in their restaurants, with the latter saying it’s seen improvements in throughput, order accuracy and labor turnover with these programs, according to its Q4 earnings call last month.
