News

Chowbotics upgrades robotic salad making kiosk

October 31, 2019

Chowbotics has introduced Sally 2.0, the newest iteration of its fresh food robot, which first came to market in 2018 and is in action at more than 70 locations including offices, college campuses, hospitals and more.

The enhanced model features a larger tablet display, a revamped user interface, wheels for increased mobility, and improved servicing features that reduce operator refill and cleaning time. In addition to Sally's flagship salad and grain bowl offerings, Sally 2.0 now offers breakfast and snack options such as Açai bowls, fruit and yogurt bowls and more. 

One of Sally 2.0's first adopters is The Salad Station, a fast-casual salad chain in Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.

"After bringing 11 Sally 1.0s to market, we were thrilled with the positive consumer feedback and return-on-investment," Scott Henderson, founder and president, said in a press release. "We're excited to announce that we are now rolling out 50 Sally 2.0s across seven states, giving us the ability to expand our fresh food footprint far beyond the reach of our brick-and-mortar stores."

Enhancements include:

• A larger display that improves user engagement. Sally 2.0 delivers a fully re-designed user interface that dramatically improves the way users and operators interact with Sally. The experience is presented on a larger 15.6-inch tablet display for a more immersive ordering and servicing experience.
• New portability. Unlike a traditional salad bar or brick-and-mortar salad chain, Sally 2.0 provides the ability to move a fresh food offering to any location. New casters with swivel and brake functionality enable operators to trial and select optimal Sally locations.
• More intuitive maintenance system and interface for faster servicing. Sally 2.0 debuts a new canister design and easier-to-use on-screen app that makes re-stocking and cleaning efficient and easy for first-time users.
• Expanded menu offering for fresh meals at all times of day. In addition to its debut salad and grain bowl offerings, Sally 2.0 now features menu options including Açai bowls, yogurt bowls and snacks, plus Mediterranean, Indian and Latin American cuisines. 
• Elevated machine design. Sally 2.0 is wrapped in polished wood tones and a deep green finish, with targeted messaging that garners quicker customer adoption and trust.

In addition to Salad Station, Bonduelle, a French international plant-based food company, recently ordered a set of 50 robots for France for 2019. Earlier this year, the two companies joined forces to create the Cabaletta brand and set an exclusive partnership for deployments at foodservice outlets throughout mainland Europe. 

Two other U.S. locations will unveil Sally 2.0 soon. Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio, plan to enhance its 24/7 offering of salads to students and staff with Sally 2.0.

ISS Guckenheimer Headquarters in San Mateo, California, will also debut Sally 2.0 and introduce a new breakfast menu.

"We believe robotics has tremendous foodservice potential because it enables fresh food at smaller locations or times when we wouldn't have staff available onsite," said Helene Kennan, CEO of ISS Guckenheimer, in the release.

Sally offers thousands of custom meal and snack options from any combination of up to 22 ingredients, in addition to chef-crafted, pre-programmed bowls. Users can fine-tune calorie total by adding or subtracting ingredients, as well as view full nutritional details for each selection, making it easier to stick to specific dietary goals and needs. Chowbotics' technology also reduces the risk of foodborne illness, as ingredients are kept sanitary and separate. 

Image courtesy of Chowbotics.