Chipotle And Cava Are Pouring $25 Million Into Robot Kitchen Technology To Transform Fast-Casual Dining

Chipotle CMG and Cava CAVA compete for health-conscious customers, but their recent team-up demonstrates where the industry is heading next.Hyphen, a foodservice platform that has created innovative robot kitchen technology, has brought the rivals together. Chipotle invested $15 million into the startup, while Cava put $5 million down and committed an additional $5 million, subject to terms.Greater EfficiencyHyphen automates meal production and other culinary operations that take place at assembly stations. Right now, Cava is using the technology to speed up bowl prep for digital orders, according to Fortune. It allows more bowls to be produced at the same time, which boosts speed.Don't Miss: The same firms that backed Uber, Venmo and eBay are investing in this pre-IPO company disrupting a $1.8T market — and you can too at just $2.90/share. ‘Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can invest today for just $0.30/share. Quicker turnaround times for orders will allow fast food giants like Cava and Chipotle to serve more customers. Lines will get shorter as they become more efficient, and that may result in fewer people leaving their spot on the line or avoiding a fast food restaurant due to its long line. Hyphen doesn't only help with efficiency. The technology can also improve the accuracy of digital orders. The robot kitchen technology is only being used in a small number of Cava restaurants. After the initial test phase, Cava plans to roll it out to more of its locations.Better Workplace MoraleCava's executives emphasized that they do not want to replace workers with Hyphen. They told Fortune that the human touch is a valuable element that makes Cava restaurants successful. Regular customers may get familiar with some of the employees and develop human connections.Trending: Kevin O'Leary Says Real Estate's Been a Smart Bet for 200 Years — This Platform Lets Anyone Tap Into ItInstead of replacing human workers with robot kitchen technology, Cava aims to make their lives easier. The technology can work faster and more accurately than human workers, and that can help workers manage these robots instead of doing additional manual labor.A good workplace morale is important for any business, but it's become a talking point for fast food restaurants. A few years ago, Chipotle was labeled as a "nightmare employer," and the restaurant burnout trend further emphasizes the need for these types of investments. Any robot kitchen technology that can reduce an employee's workload may make the job more enjoyable. Employees can then focus more of their time talking with customers while robots handle most of the food prep.Higher Profit MarginsIt's unlikely that robot kitchen technology will fully replace workers, but it can mean that fewer workers are required to operate a restaurant. Hyphen and similar technology can address worker shortages in a way that boosts profit margins while giving fast food restaurants extra room in their budgets to give remaining workers higher salaries.Those higher margins would benefit shareholders. It would also help fast food restaurants improve their margins in an industry that is known for low margins. Hyphen brought Chipotle and Cava together, and you can expect these two rivals to make additional investments in robot kitchen technology.Image: Shutterstock