A robot chef? Arlington Heights company opening first automated kitchen in Naperville
Specializing in precision and catering to a diverse palate, a sophisticated robotic chef is the star of a new restaurant concept emerging in the suburbs.
The first Nala Robotics dining establishment is slated to open this spring in Naperville, boasting an artificial intelligence-based kitchen that can swiftly switch from pizza to burgers to international cuisine, company President Ajay Sunkara said.
Leading the operations will be a state-of-the-art robot, designed to efficiently and consistently prepare meals as requested, he said. While choosing from an extensive menu, customers will be able to customize orders in person or through the Nala app by modifying the ingredients or noting dietary restrictions.
“The total food-making process is completely automated,” Sunkara said. “The ultimate goal is to use technology to improve the quality of life.”
The Arlington Heights-based Nala Robotics was founded three years ago by Sunkara and Chief Technology Officer Vijay Kodali, who have been working to develop the hardware and software they believe will shake up the food service industry.
Also a managing partner at multiple breweries, Sunkara said he was taste-testing one day when he realized that while an automated brewing process ensures the beer always tastes the same, “the food being served with it is hit or miss.”
After he brought his observation to Kodali — his kindergarten classmate who also has an engineering background — the pair got to work addressing common issues affecting restaurateurs.
The Nala technology limits human contact, reduces staff training time and is scalable based on restaurant size and scope, Sunkara said. And when restaurant operations are closed, the robotic chef can work around the clock to prepare prepackaged food and fresh meal plan subscriptions.
The robotic kitchen also doubles as a marketplace, replicating dishes sold by chefs and food connoisseurs worldwide, Sunkara said. If someone in Europe enters a recipe into the system, for example, a customer in Arlington Heights could order it and have it prepared by the Nala kitchen closest to them, as long as the ingredients are available.
“Nala is the culmination of our years of research to bring a chef's passionate culinary creations to life and customize it for every connoisseur's taste using robotics and artificial intelligence,” he said. He hopes to expand the concept worldwide.
Located within the Mall of India at 776 S. Route 59, the flagship restaurant in Naperville is intended to operate like a food court, company officials said. The menu will feature options from 10 types of establishments: a pizza parlor, a burger joint, a chicken wing shack, and restaurants specializing in Italian, Thai, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Mediterranean and Portuguese.
Having a robotic chef doesn't eliminate the need for employees, Sunkara said, noting the Naperville location intends to hire about 20 people for plating, serving, assisting with the technology and planning the meals.
Photos, videos and additional details about the technology will be available as the restaurant nears its opening, likely in mid-April, Sunkara said. Construction is expected to wrap up in late March.
A second location is planned at 2375 Bowes Road in Elgin, with a tentative May opening.
Nala leaders also are working to bring the technology to an existing restaurant in Logan Square, Chicago, where it would replace a retiring chef and help the establishment get back on its feet amid the COVID-19 crisis, Sunkara said.
“We expect Nala to be one of the biggest game-changers in restaurant automation,” Kodali said in a statement, “emerging as the 'go-to' technology and methodology for years to come.”