Robots build burgers in 27 seconds in Californian restaurant
1 May 2025 
Photographer: Mithy Evans
A pair of industrial robots – a pick-and-place delta-type machine and a cobot (collaborative robot) – have started to assemble burgers in a Californian restaurant, taking less than half a minute to create each burger. The ABB IRB 360 FlexPicker delta robot and two-armed YuMi cobot assemble the meals quickly and precisely, while monitoring stock levels and freeing the restaurant staff to focus on other activities.
The compact robotic cell integrates the robots with an intelligent inventory monitoring system. As each order is received, a freshly cooked burger patty is placed on a bun inside a burger box. The box is then placed on a conveyor shuttle, and tagged with a QR code. As it moves along the conveyor, the FlexPicker adds toppings hygienically at high speed, guided by data in the QR code. The cobot helps with the final assembly of the burger. The entire process takes 27 seconds per burger.
The ABB robot controller integrates the cell with non-robotic systems, enabling real-time tracking of ingredients such as onions, tomatoes, lettuce and condiments.
The installation – at the Breaking Dawn/First Born restaurant in Los Gatos – is the brainchild of a US start-up called BurgerBots. Its owner, entrepreneur Elizabeth Truong, sees it as the first step in a broader commercial rollout.
“The vision was to bring consistency, transparency, and efficiency to food service,” she says. “For restaurant owners, it means better visibility of food costs, more accurate forecasting and – ultimately – better decision-making. In the next five years, I believe that most restaurants will have some form of robotic automation, whether it’s back-of-house preparation, assembly, or even front-of-house service. It will become less of a novelty and more of a necessity.”
One of the biggest challenges facing restaurant owners is attracting and retaining staff. High turnover, rising labour costs, and the repetitive nature of back-of-house roles put pressure on hospitality businesses. ABB says that automation presents an opportunity not just to fill labour gaps, but to make foodservice jobs more sustainable and appealing by reducing tedious tasks and improving workflows.
“Integrating ABB robots with the BurgerBots restaurant concept demonstrates the incredible potential for automation beyond the factory floor,” says ABB Robotics president, Marc Segura. “The food service industry is dynamic and demanding, and our technology brings industrial-grade consistency, efficiency and reliability to this space.
“When we asked the hospitality industry, 89% of managers and 73% of workers said they are open to the integration of robotics to automate tasks within their operations,” Segura reports. “By taking over repetitive and time-consuming tasks, robots allow staff to focus on what matters most – creating memorable dining experiences.”
In its survey, ABB Robotics found that 67% of hospitality workers believe that robotics and automation should be used to reduce the amount of dull, dirty, dangerous work that humans currently do in the hospitality industry. Almost two-thirds (65%) said they would welcome robots in their workplace if it meant a safer work environment, and 63% regarded the idea of robotics making their job easier as exciting.
BurgerBots is the latest in a series of food sector innovations supported by robotic technologies. For example, ABB is collaborating with a Latvian business called RoboEatz on an autonomous robotic kitchen (Ark) that can prepare hundreds of meals with minimal human intervention. The robot-maker is also working with an Italian company called Makr Shakr on robotic bartenders that will soon be mixing drinks in venues around the world.
