Pizza robots are on the rise… and even Jay-Z's giving them dough. The rapper turned VC invested $16.5M in Stellar Pizza — a mobile robo-powered restaurant — that’s said to crank out as many as 420 (ahem) pizzas a day. Stellar's the brainchild of three former SpaceX engineers, who describe their mechanical baby as a "spaceship on wheels." That ship comes with rocket-like speed:
- 30 minutes or (way) less: Stellar says its pie-robot can assemble and cook a pizza in under 5 minutes.
- It's not (human) delivery: Because the resto is mobile (picture: a big truck), it can double as the delivery vehicle.
Metal-handcrafted… Stellar isn't the only up-and-comer getting into the bionic-baking biz. Both PizzaHQ (New Jersey) and Picnic Works (Seattle) offer some form of automated pie-assembly line. And that's just 'za: Chipotle is looking to chip-making machines and Jack in the Box embraced a french-fry bot. While the innovations may seem futuristic, the motivations appear timeless: $$.
- Automate profits: Paying workers and renting shops cost money. A robot-staffed food truck (that doubles as a kitchen) is a shiny alternative for investors looking for a bite of the restaurant biz.
Robo-restaurants could change the dining landscape… but the proof will be in the pudding. Stellar's founders hype up the company's cutting-edge tech, but mechanized mobile 'za has been tried (unsuccessfully) before. Whether or not the $898B restaurant industry swaps human employees for machines may come down to whether the latter can deliver good-tasting pizza with cash-saving results.