New Member Q&A: BOTINKIT

As part of its mission to celebrate organizations that strengthen the foodservice equipment and supplies industry, FEDA publishes Q&As with member companies. This week's newsletter features BOTINKIT, a manufacturer of robotic kitchen equipment that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automate cooking and optimize kitchen efficiency.

Please tell us a little bit about your company's history.

Edward Hughes, vice president of operations for North America: BOTINKIT’s presence spans the globe, supporting businesses in major countries worldwide. From the United States, United Kingdom and Japan to Singapore, United Arab Emirates and Australia, our solutions are trusted by partners in over 20 countries. Wherever a restaurant operates, we’re here to help operators scale, innovate and succeed on a global stage.

How has your company set itself apart in the foodservice equipment and supplies industry?

BOTINKIT positions itself as the world’s first end-to-end AI-driven digital-kitchen solution provider. Our integrated hardware-and-software platform removes the industry’s biggest pain points — dependence on skilled labor, inconsistent food quality, high kitchen labor cost, slow service, and food waste — by automating cooking, seasoning, cleaning, and data-driven decision-making. This focus on full-stack automation and measurable return on investment has earned us a footprint in 22 countries and leadership status in the category.

What are some key products and services we should highlight?

OMNI AI Cooking Robot: This product performs auto cooking, seasoning, precise temperature control, dishing-up, step-by-step voice guidance, and auto cleaning, with cloud-based recipes for identical taste at scale.

Kitchen Manufacturing Execution System (KMES): The dispatching system KMES is the central brain of the digital kitchen. It prioritizes automated cooking production through AI and uses data and analytics to replicate the production time of each dish. This turns the traditional kitchen, which was previously a chaotic black box, into an orderly and transparent operation. In this way, it provides diners with a more stable, efficient and personalized dining experience.

Perspect-AI: Using intelligent analytics, it ensures every dish is served at the correct temperature and meets quality standards, dramatically enhancing and digitizing food-safety and quality control across the restaurant industry.

How has the company innovated in recent years?

Since 2021, we have moved from engineering prototypes to global mass production and launched MAX domestically (2022) and OMNI internationally (2024). We also rolled out KMES and Perspect-AI as software layers that build a comprehensive digital kitchen solution.

What are some trends in foodservice equipment and supplies your company is closely watching? What do you believe is driving those trends?

Automation and labor efficiency: Rising wages and chronic chef shortages are accelerating demand for fully automated cooking stations like the BOTINKIT OMNI.

Data-centric operations: Kitchen managers are seeking complete transparency and digitization to break the black box of kitchen operations. Our KMES makes that possible.

Electrification and safety: Cities are moving away from gas. Our non-gas, internet-of-things-connected design and multi-region safety certifications future-proof kitchens.

Consistency at scale: Global expansion of quick-service brands heightens the need for identical taste in every outlet. This is addressed by our cloud-based recipe and machine-precision seasoning.

How is your company growing?

BOTINKIT now ships to 22 countries and operates more than 30 global research and development kitchens, giving us on-the-ground insight and service coverage across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Our automated cooking stations help our food-service partners serve over 300,000 guests every day.

What excites you about the future of our industry?

The industry trend toward standardization and chain foodservice restaurants means the digital-kitchen wave is here today and here to stay. What excites us most is how this will re-write kitchen roles: robots will absorb the repetitive, time-critical work, while chefs are freed to act as true culinary artists. This will free them to devote their energy to inventing new flavors, formats and dining experiences rather than recruitment, training, quality assurance, and waste analysis.

Is there anything else FEDA members should know about your company?

BOTINKIT stands for “robot in kitchen,” reflecting our mission to revolutionize the culinary world with automation and digitalization. By streamlining repetitive tasks, we free up valuable resources, empowering our clients to expand their businesses effortlessly. With our innovative solutions, we ensure that delicious, high-quality food reaches every corner of the United States and the world, consistently and efficiently.