Overcooked? Why robotic pizza makers are failing

Robotic pizza makers have struggled to gain traction, as evidenced by the failure of Moto Pizza's partnership with Picnic, a startup that provided the robotic systems. The two robots, which were designed to create pizzas in a Moto Pizza restaurant in Seattle, became useless when Picnic went out of business in May. Founder Lee Kindell expressed doubts about the value of investing in such technology, citing the high cost and lack of technical support.

The robotic pizza-making industry has seen a succession of startups, including Zume, Pazzi, and Basil Street, all of which have failed or ceased operations. While fast food might seem like an ideal target for automation, the challenges in bringing robots into pizza restaurants have proven greater than anticipated. Food preparation bots sometimes struggle with ingredient placement, and many experts argue that humans are more efficient at making pizza.

However, Kindell remains optimistic about the future of full automation, stating that he plans to develop his own pizza-making robot by 2027, inspired by 3D printing technology. Despite the setbacks, some companies continue to work on improving the speed and consistency of robotic pizza production, aiming to offer a consistent product at scale.