October 12, 2022

Karakuri, which is developing robotic kitchen automation for fast casual and quick service restaurants, has announced the launch of its new family of /FRYR automated fry lines. The high-precision frying solutions aim to save time and reduce waste while ensuring perfectly cooked fried food.

The /FRYR210 is the first model in the range of the automated fry lines, combining robotics and real-time data analysis to give restaurants with optimal fried food production of up to 130 lbs (60 kg) of french fries per hour. Simultaneously, the /FRYR210 improves food quality and consistency by ensuring the standard operating procedures are followed 100% of the time. The system works with existing fry wells, extraction and fire suppression systems to spend less time in front of the fryer and more time on value-added, customer-focused tasks within the restaurant.

“With more than 22 billion pounds of French fries eaten each year globally, frying is a massive business,” said Barney Wragg, CEO and co-founder of Karakuri. “Every restaurant knows that serving consistently crispy, fluffy fries will keep customers coming back for more. Our new family of /FRYR automated fry lines is changing the game for QSR and fast casual restaurants. It strikes the perfect balance of food, people, and intelligent automation allowing restaurants to deliver expertly fried food with total consistency and availability, at a price point that works for their bottom line.”

The family of fryers combines hardware and software to ensure increased throughput, consistency and quality, from freezer to scoop. Key benefits include:

Food waste reduction through the company’s patented /APC portion control technology, which lets the fryer prepare variable basket volumes with the right amount of product to match restaurant demand.
Maximized operation efficiency through real-time monitoring and prediction of frozen food levels. This lets the /FRYR alert staff in advance when frozen produce needs refilling to avoid costly delays.
Reduced energy consumption and increased oil lifespan through dynamic, real-time temperature control of the entire system, from freezer to fry well and scoop.
Easy installation kitchen layout, which uses less floor space than traditional lines, and utilizing existing extraction and fire suppression systems. Karakuri said the /FRYR210 can be installed overnight to replace traditional fry lines with no interruption to kitchen operations.

“The /FRYR210 is the first in a family of fry line solutions,” said Wragg. “We will be expanding the /FRYR range in the future to support varying numbers of fry wells and freezers to help meet the cost and capacity demands of every restaurant.

The /FRYR210 is now available through the company’s Performance Partnership business model (robotics-as-a-service), starting at $2,100 per month. The first installations of Tier 1 QSR and fast casual restaurants are scheduled for Q3 2022.

For more details on the company and its technology, visit the Karakuri website here.