Bowl-ing Alone? Delivery Driving Rise of Robotic Restaurants
Bowl-ing Alone? Delivery Driving Rise of Robotic Restaurants
Hyphen's Makeline, upcoming happy hours, micromobility's big in Japan
Of the 10,000 folks that read this newsletter, I suspect the majority of you subscribe (thank you!) because you’re interested in how the continued rise of on-demand delivery and new mobility is reshaping our cities.
But those same forces that have rewired how goods get around is also starting to transform how those meals and products are made. In a world where customers don’t enter the restaurant, the very concept of what a restaurant is, how it looks, and where it’s located is up for grabs.
One consequence of that has been the rise of robotic restaurants, which seem poised to flourish in an era where speed, accuracy and cost matter more than the front of house vibe. I just published an exhaustive write-up on Hyphen, a San Jose-based kitchen automation startup that’s looking to crack the code with a robotic makeline that will self-build bowls and salads for delivery and commissary orders, while letting traditional workers still hand make orders above.
After spending a day at their lab, and going deep behind the scenes with Co-Founders Stephen Klein and Daniel Fukuba, I can see why the brains behind the likes of Chipotle, Mixt, Chopt and The Cheesecake Factory have given them $58 million dollars: this really just might be the restaurant of the future.
HOT INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP
Podcast plug part deux: In case you missed it, last week Greg Lindsay and I kicked off a new podcast — The Courier — where we discuss the week’s hottest delivery + mobility news, and then go deep with a subject matter expert. We’ll be bringing you weekly updates starting in September (in the meantime, this newsletter is going on a brief summer break,) so please email back if you’ve got an interesting name in mind for an interview guest. And in the meantime, do subscribe to the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Upcoming happy hours: You know we love getting you curb heads together… now we’ve got a few fun mobility and delivery happy hours in the works. For folks headed to MOVE America in Austin: The Rideshare Guy and HUB Insurance are hosting a happy hour on the evening of 9/24 - register here. Back in LA, we’ve got another gathering set for October 17th, as part of the LA Tech Week festivities. And then last but not least we’re thinking of spinning one more up in mid-November for folks in town for CoMotion LA. Interested in sponsoring either of those latter two gatherings, or one tied to CES, and getting hundreds of leads from industry leaders? Reach out to harry@therideshareguy.com for details on how to partner up!
Micromobility makin’ moves: Japan has been a relatively latecomer to the scooter scene, thanks to onerous rules that favor local players. Now Lime is finally squeezing its way into Tokyo, hoping its unique vehicle mix will win over riders from Luup. Meanwhile, a new study confirms that the rising popularity of e-bikes is making a dent in car usage.
Does this count as micromobility? It’s small, it’s three-wheeled, and it was kind of shared, in so much that the vendor will share grilled squid or scallion pancakes with you in return for you sharing money with him. Let’s see if we can bring this to Curbivore ‘25…
Big Apple, big problems: While NYC’s leadership promised to build 150 miles of bus lanes in four years, the rubber has failed to hit the road. In the past three years, the city has carved out fewer than 30 miles, leaving some bus routes to plod along at just 4.6 miles per hour. After straphangers get off those slow busses, they have a new hassle to worry about: electromagnetic detectors at select subway systems. But NYC is at least doing one thing to help boost transit ridership: it’s booting wheel clamps to scofflaw vehicles at a record pace.
For a cool new job, sign on the DOTted line: Thanks to the work of tireless advocates, Louisville, KY is getting with the times and creating its first Department of Transportation. Now the new department is looking for its first Director, as well as folks for other positions like like Operations Administrator, Engineering Supervisor, Project Manager and Planning Engineer. Apply today.
A few good links: CicLAvia — still awesome. New research shows that when a restaurant earns a Michelin star, it’s actually more likely to go under. Congress may ease discretionary grant rules to make it easier for small cities to win money without loading up on paperwork consultants. Skyryse expands its SoCal campus at Hawthorne Airport. New BRT system in Madison, WI shows small towns can have big transit dreams too. Blue Systems launches airport mobility data platform. Midwest YIMBY win: St. Louis upzones along forthcoming north-south light rail line.
This newsletter will be taking a brief summer break to spend some time in New York and France… adieu for now!
- Jonah Bliss & The Curbivore Crew