Jack in the Box to experiment with burger-making robots using Miso Robotics’ Kitchen Automation

Jack in the Box is the latest restaurant to hop on the trend of employing kitchen automation tools. On April 26, the California-based chain announced that it will be pilot testing two of Miso Robotics' core product lines — Flippy 2 and Sippy — in one of its standalone restaurants in San Diego.

The original Flippy was innovated for White Castle in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, when it was facing significant labor shortages and all-time-high quit rates. Flippy 2 and Sippy will leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, and data analytics to maximize efficiency in the fryer and drinks stations, respectively.

---

Jack in the Box x Miso Robotics aims to fill labor gaps

Given the restaurant industry's continued struggle with staffing since the "great resignation" during the pandemic, Jack in the Box was drawn to Miso Robotics' kitchen automation technology as a means to improve restaurant-level economics.

Flippy 2 will help alleviate the pain points of working in a high-volume commercial kitchen by augmenting line-cooks with automated burger-flipping in addition to maneuvering its best-selling curly fries, tacos, and chicken nuggets.

Tony Darden, Chief Operating Officer at Jack in the Box, said in a press release:

"This collaboration with Miso Robotics is a steppingstone for our back-of-house restaurant operations. We are confident that this technology will be a good fit to support our growing business needs with intentions of having a positive impact on our operations while promoting safety and comfort to our team members. We are looking forward to testing Flippy 2 as our new hire at our San Diego location!"

During the test installation period, the chain will monitor the integration of the two products and the purported benefits of a connected kitchen. The restaurant also hopes that these robots will free up more time for its staff to interact with customers out front. A positive evaluation could result in a broader deployment "in the months ahead."

Jack in the Box's Chief Financial Officer Tim Mullany had already envisioned automation as a potential solution for plugging labor shortages in November, saying:

“We’re working on robotics, particularly at the fry station, and we’ll have a test underway shortly and we’re optimistic about what that has for us in the long term. We’re also looking at automated drink machines as far as pulling labor out of the system. These technologies are things that, in our analysis, could be fairly meaningful when we look at the economic model in the long term and across the system.”

Mike Bell, CEO of Miso Robotics, was highly keen on the collaboration, saying:

"Beginning our journey with a premier brand like Jack in the Box is an enormous step in our commitment to helping restaurants increase throughput, reduce costs and create a safer environment for their staff. From tacos and curly fries to fountain sodas, the future is now for Jack in the Box, and we are ecstatic to serve as the company's technological arm to assure a quality product gets into its customers hands every time they order."

Miso Robotics' Flippy 2 and Sippy join the ranks of Flippy Wings, which is in testing at Buffalo Wild Wings, and Chippy, being tested at Chipotle.