Nala Robotics Teams With Slice Factory to Deploy Pizza-Making Robot
June 29, 2022
Nala Robotics, which develops food robotics applications, has announced it will supply Chicago-based Slice Factory with its autonomous chef, Pizzaiola, a multi-cuisine, voice-controlled pizza-making robot that can also cook pasta, burgers, chicken wings and prepare salads.
Nala said it will custom design and install Pizzaiola at Slice Factory’s newest locations to help fuel national expansion efforts. The pizza chain, which operates 12 locations in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, said its aggressive expansion plan heavily leverages Nala Robotics’ technology and automation expertise. The fully automated robot chef can cook Slice Factory’s jumbo slice 28-inch and various Chicago-style stuffed pizzas, as well as serve the chain’s pasta dishes and chicken wings.
“Our partnership with Slice Factory, the first of many in the pipeline, represents another important milestone for Nala Robotics and the adoption of our restaurant-as-a-service platform,” said Ajay Sunkara, co-founder and CEO of Nala Robotics. “Our custom solution will help Slice Factory expand production to meet rising demand for the jumbo slice craze it created in the Chicagoland area, plus offer a wide variety of food options to keep customers happy, while also saving on labor costs.”
Nala said the robotic operating system monitors more than 1,200 parameters every microsecond, ranging from robot field of vision and food quality to point of sales. Once a pizza order is placed, Pizzaiola selects, presses and stretches the dough, adds sauce, cheese and toppings, and then cooks, slices, and boxes the pizza based on customer preference. The robot can fulfill online orders and individual jumbo slices that can be scheduled for pickup at the chain’s flagship Slice Thru drive-through within a few minutes of ordering.
“We’re known for our jumbo pizzas and jumbo slices, and this partnership with Nala Robotics will help us improve production exponentially as we expand locations and service areas,” said Dom DiDiana, founder and president of Slice Factory. “What’s really exciting is that we now have the capability to run fully autonomous pizzeria-style restaurants with lots of menu items, while keeping our family recipes consistent with the same great taste and exceptional food quality our customers have loved for many years.”
Nala said monthly leasing options for Pizzaiola start at $7,000 per month, and customers can choose from several different pizza ovens and other appliances, such as fryers, grills, pasta and salad stations. For more details on Nala Robotics, visit its website here.
Related video:
{youtube}oLRIGiJyqJ0{/youtube}
