CHIPOTLE DEBUTS AUTOCADO AND THE AUGMENTED MAKELINE BY HYPHEN IN RESTAURANTS

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Sep 16, 2024, 08:06 ET

The company's cobots (collaborative robots) are assisting crew members in Chipotle restaurants for the first time
Through its Cultivate Next venture fund, Chipotle has invested in Vebu, a product development company that has co-created Autocado, and Hyphen, a foodservice platform that automates kitchen operations and has co-developed Chipotle's Augmented Makeline

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Sept. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) announced today Autocado, its avocado processing cobotic prototype developed in partnership with Vebu that cuts, cores, and peels avocados before they are hand mashed to create the restaurant's signature guacamole, and the Augmented Makeline, a cobotic makeline built in collaboration with Hyphen, are being tested in Chipotle restaurants for the first time. Autocado is currently operating at Chipotle's Huntington Beach, Calif. location at 20972 Magnolia St and the Augmented Makeline is being utilized at the company's Corona del Mar (CDM), Calif. location at 3050 East Coast Hwy.

In the Huntington Beach, Calif. restaurant where Autocado is operating, crew members can focus on assisting with other food prep items and delivering exceptional hospitality to guests while Autocado cuts avocados, removes their skin, and separates their fruit through an automated process.

Chipotle’s Augmented Makeline, created in collaboration with Hyphen, uses automated technology to build bowls and salads while Chipotle employees operate the top makeline to make burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and kid’s meals. The Augmented Makeline is being tested at the company’s Corona del Mar (CDM), Calif. location.

Photos and B-roll video of Autocado and the Augmented Makeline can be accessed here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/kjcz5fjv6xun2l7z8zygm/ANVzEjOguvkF172YcyMhlp0?rlkey=00jmgufel1ku0fzftwckse5i0&st=dkaus6e0&dl=0.

"These cobotic devices could help us build a stronger operational engine that delivers a great experience for our team members and our guests while maintaining Chipotle's high culinary standards," said Curt Garner, Chief Customer and Technology Officer. "Optimizing our use of these systems and incorporating crew and customer feedback are the next steps in the stage-gate process before determining their broader pilot plans."

Autocado Continues Through the Stage-Gate Process
Vebu and Chipotle worked closely with Certified Training Managers from Chipotle's restaurants to analyze the company's preparation process and identify tasks that are time consuming and less favorable among crew members. In the Huntington Beach restaurant where Autocado is operating, crew members can focus on assisting with other food prep items and delivering exceptional hospitality to guests while Autocado cuts avocados, removes their skin, and separates their fruit through an automated process. On average, it takes Autocado approximately 26 seconds to fully flesh out the fruit inside an avocado. In Chipotle locations across the U.S., Canada, and Europe this year, the company is expected to use approximately 5.18 million cases of avocados, equivalent to 129.5 million pounds of fruit.

The current iteration of Autocado features an updated design and size agnostic avocado processing abilities, meaning that the machine recognizes variability in the fruit and automatically adjusts itself to accommodate the size of the avocados being loaded.

Enhancing Digital Ordering with the Augmented Makeline
Chipotle's Augmented Makeline, created in collaboration with Hyphen, uses automated technology to build bowls and salads while Chipotle employees operate the top makeline to make burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and kid's meals. Approximately 65% of all Chipotle digital orders are bowls or salads, so the Augmented Makeline can improve employee efficiency and digital order accuracy, ensuring a more consistent experience for digital guests.

Cultivate Next
Chipotle has invested in Vebu and Hyphen through its $100 million Cultivate Next venture fund. Introduced in 2022, Cultivate Next makes early-stage investments into strategically aligned companies that further Chipotle's mission to Cultivate a Better World and help accelerate the company's aggressive longer term growth plans to operate 7,000 restaurants in North America.

Companies interested in collaborating with Chipotle through the Cultivate Next venture fund can apply by emailing [email protected].

About Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. There are over 3,500 restaurants as of June 30, 2024, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Kuwait and it is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants in North America and Europe. Chipotle is ranked on the Fortune 500 and is recognized on Fortune's Most Admired Companies 2024 list and Time Magazine's Most Influential Companies. With over 120,000 employees passionate about providing a great guest experience, Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food industry. Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible to everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated purpose as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable business practices. For more information or to place an order online, visit www.chipotle.com.

About Vebu
Vebu is a full stack Automation, Robotics, and Intelligence company focused on building technology solutions for and with the broad food industry. With a partner driven team of experts spanning engineering, robotics, artificial intelligence, and product development, Vebu is building products to help humans do more. Vebulabs.com.

About Hyphen
Hyphen is a foodservice platform designed to help restaurant owners, operators, and budding chefs move their business forward by automating kitchen operations. Visit Usehyphen.com for more information on Hyphen and its team.

SOURCE Chipotle Mexican Grill