US-based fast casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill is testing Hyphen’s automated digital makeline for making bowls and salads.

Hyphen is a foodservice platform designed to help restaurant owners and operators to take their business forward by automating kitchen operations.

Hyphen’s collaborative robot (cobotic) system is currently being tested at the Chipotle Cultivate Center in Irvine, California.

Once the customer places a digital order containing bowls or salad through the Chipotle app, Chipotle.com, or third-party platforms, the order is routed to Hyphen's automated system.

A bowl then moves along the bottom makeline and sits under a specified ingredient container, where the intelligent dispensers release ingredients into the bowl.

If the customer orders burritos, tacos, quesadillas, or a kid's meal, the team member would use the top of the same makeline to make those entrées.

Once completed, the bowl or salad would be raised from the bottom of the makeline and revealed through an opening in the countertop, which is then delivered to the customer.

Chipotle Mexican Grill chief customer and technology officer Curt Garner said: “Chipotle's new digital makeline built by Hyphen embodies our commitment to leveraging robotics to unlock the human potential of our workforce, ensuring an elevated dining experience for our guests.

“Our goal is to have the automated digital makeline be the centerpiece of all our restaurants' digital kitchens.” 

Additionally, the new digital makeline is said to improve digital order accuracy and customer experience.