Chipotle Is Testing Out a Robot Named Chippy to Make Its Tortilla Chips — Watch It in Action

Chippy is currently making tortilla chips at the Chipotle Cultivate Center in Irvine, California

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Published on March 18, 2022 01:39 PM

Chipotle is trying out something new in its kitchens.

The restaurant chain announced it was testing out a robot that uses artificial intelligence to make tortilla chips. Named Chippy, it's the first and only chip-making robot.

Chipotle's culinary team worked with robot-maker Miso Robotics to perfect Chippy, tailoring its technology to replicate their exact recipe. The machine cooks chips to perfection using corn masa flour, water and sunflower oil, then seasons the chips with a dusting of salt, and finishes them with a hint of fresh lime juice.

It was "imperative that the technique remained the same so customers receive delicious, craveable chips every time," the brand explained in a release.

"Everyone loves finding a chip with a little more salt or an extra hint of lime," Nevielle Panthaky, Chipotle's vice president of culinary, said in a statement. "To ensure we didn't lose the humanity behind our culinary experience, we trained Chippy extensively to ensure the output mirrored our current product, delivering some subtle variations in flavor that our guests expect."

Explained Miso Robotics CEO Mike Bell: "When Chipotle challenged us to see if our technology could meet the brand's high standards for culinary quality, we couldn't wait to flex our engineering and design muscles. This partnership will allow us to move into new territory to help improve back-of-house functions and assist team members with their day-to-day responsibilities."

Chippy is currently being tested at the Chipotle Cultivate Center, Chipotle's innovation hub in Irvine, California where the brand often develops and tries out new items. It will be integrated into a Chipotle restaurant in Southern California later this year where the brand will gather crew and guest feedback before deciding on a national implementation strategy.

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That's the same process Chipotle does to test out many of its new menu items, including Pollo Asado — the new chicken offering they added to restaurants across the U.S. and Canada earlier this month.

Chipotle first started testing the offering back in November at select restaurants in Sacramento and Cincinnati, listening, learning, and iterating on guest feedback before picking the final recipe.

The premium protein is made fresh daily in small batches, tumbled in a spice blend before being seared on the plancha. Once ready, it's then hand-chopped into tender, juicy bites and brought to life with their tasty marinade, fresh squeezed lime, and fresh cilantro. The final flavor hits all that, with notes of garlic and guajillo peppers.

Customers can taste the Pollo Asado now for a limited time at participating locations, where it will sit alongside all permanent menu items. It can be ordered both in-restaurant and to go, via online, mobile, and delivery orders.

In fact, right now, Pollo Asado is being offered for customers at a $0 delivery fee on all U.S. orders placed through the Chipotle app and at Chipotle.com between March 14 through March 20.

To qualify, orders must include at least one entrée with Pollo Asado, and spend a minimum of $10, excluding tax and fees.