Chili's New Grill Of The Future Can Cook Your Steak In 3 Minutes
The presence of technology in all aspects of our lives is increasing year after year, and that shouldn't always be considered a negative thing. For example, technology plays a huge role in the food industry. Many restaurants have begun using devices at the table that customers can use to pay and print their receipt themselves without a server, and many fast food restaurants especially now have digital stations where customers can order their food instead of ordering via an employee, per SIAL America. The biggest reason for the use of technology in the food industry is to ensure a fast experience and provide quick service.
Technology is also making its way to the back of restaurants as well. Casual restaurant chain Chili's implemented Rita the Robot in 10 of its stores in October 2020 (via FSR). Rita's purpose was to greet guests and take them to their tables, deliver food to tables, clean tables, and sing "Happy Birthday!" to guests. In doing so, overwhelmed and stressed employees on a busy Friday or Saturday night could tend to more important tasks, minimizing stress for many employees. Now, Chili's is expanding into grills of the future and delivering food with drones.
Chili's plans to automate its kitchen
According to Restaurant Business, casual restaurant chain Chili's is testing out a way to deliver food to its customers using drones, starting with a few of its locations in Texas and North Carolina. By testing drone delivery, Chili's hopes to provide faster service for its customers and minimize the loss of time and money that comes with human delivery. However, new CEO for the parent company of Chili's Kevin Hochman is shifting the restaurant's focus to automating cooking tasks in the back of house with a kitchen of the future, per Business Insider.
The new equipment will consist of grills with plates on the bottom and the top in a "clamshell style," so that the meat gets cooked on both sides at once. Not only does this cut down on cook times, but it also means that employees won't be stuck standing in front of a hot grill flipping that meat back and forth. Conveniently, the new grills can also be set up to cook steak, chicken, burgers, and salmon with the press of a single button. With this new equipment, a steak can be cooked to medium in a little less than three minutes, and a well-done steak can be done in about four minutes and 15 seconds. Furthermore, a well-done burger can be cooked in two minutes, while a burger with a pink middle is ready in around 50 seconds.