Panda Specific unveils a robotic wok

The Panda Auto Wok (PAW) in motion. / {Photograph} courtesy of Panda Specific

Panda Specific is automating its woks.

The Asian quick informal on Wednesday unveiled a proprietary robotic wok, dubbed the Panda Auto Wok (PAW), that’s designed to cook dinner meals sooner and ease the burden on cooks. The chain has been growing PAW since 2015 and started putting in it in eating places final 12 months, the corporate stated in a press launch.

The bot is now in use at 120 of the chain’s 2,316 eating places and might be in one other 240 by the tip of this 12 months. 

PAW automates components of the wok-handling course of, together with mixing substances and cooking massive batches of starches for dishes like chow mein and fried rice. It will possibly do that 25% sooner than a guide wok and eliminates a number of steps for workers, which the chain stated has improved retention.

Panda Specific stated automation may help eating places run higher as employees change into more durable to seek out, including that it’s wanting into automating different kitchen tools sooner or later.

“Whereas know-how just isn’t the only real answer to the present labor disaster, it helps create extra environment friendly processes for restaurant operators and workers alike,” the chain stated. 

With 120 PAWs already in place, Panda Specific out of the blue turns into one of many main adopters of robots within the restaurant business. White Fort in February stated it will add automated fry cook dinner Flippy to 100 extra shops after assessments at a couple of dozen areas. Chipotle, Jack within the Field and Wing Zone are all testing Flippy as properly. Sit-down chains like Chili’s and Denny’s, in the meantime, have been rolling out front-of-house robots that run meals and bus tables.  

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