The Halal Guys is bringing robots—and fancy drinks—into its restaurants.
The Middle Eastern chain known for its halal protein platters will add premium blended beverages to the menu with the help of Botrista's DrinkBot, a machine that can mix drinks in about 20 seconds at the push of a button.
A quarter of the chain's 91 stores currently have a DrinkBot behind the counter, and the rest will get one by the spring of 2022, the company said Wednesday. Workers select a drink from the machine's touchscreen, and DrinkBot does the rest.
"Botrista takes the quality and efficiency of premium beverages to another level and is small but mighty, making it an ideal addition to our precious back-of-house space," said Andrew Eck, The Halal Guys' VP of marketing, in a statement.
The New York-based chain will offer 12 beverages made by the robot, including a variety of teas and lemonades as well as a creamy mango beverage with frothed oat milk. In tests at a company-operated restaurant, the robot contributed to an average-check increase of 17% year over year, Eck said.
The bot measures about 2.5 feet by 2.25 feet and can hold enough ingredients for 300 servings, according to Botrista's website. It can produce up to 120 drinks per hour.
The Redwood City, Calif.-based company raised $10 million over the summer to fuel expansion. It also works with Bonchon and Filipino bakery concept Goldilocks.
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