Aniai debuts robotic grill series US

Aniai said on May 13 it will debut a new robotic grill series at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, adding a new product launch to the kitchen-automation company’s U.S. expansion push. The New York-based company said the lineup is aimed at chain and quick-service restaurant operators and will be shown during the May 16-19 trade show at McCormick Place. The announcement comes four months after Aniai said it had reached $19 million in total funding and expanded live U.S. restaurant deployments. ### What exactly is Aniai bringing to Chicago? Aniai said the new series expands a product line built around its Alpha Grill system, an automated grill designed for commercial kitchens. The company’s website says Alpha Grill is built for high-volume restaurant operations and is marketed as a way to standardize grilling across shifts and locations. (prnewswire.com) The company has not publicly detailed every model in the new series in the materials reviewed, but it said the launch will be part of its display at the National Restaurant Association Show. The event’s official website lists Aniai as an exhibitor in the South Building at booth 3288. (prnewswire.com) ### What does the company say the grill can do? Aniai says Alpha Grill can produce more than 200 food items per hour and cook proteins in under three minutes. The company says the machine uses recipe settings for temperature, thickness and cook time, and includes a built-in robotic spatula that unloads cooked items and cleans residue between cycles. (prnewswire.com) January 20 materials from the company said the system can cook up to eight items simultaneously and has been used for burgers, chicken, steak, pork, salmon, eggs and pancakes. In its latest announcement, Aniai said operators are also using the grill for eggs, chicken breast, shrimp, steak and French toast, while one New York customer uses it for bulgogi, spicy pork and tofu. (aniai.ai) ### Where is Aniai already operating in the United States? New York and the Seattle metro area are the two U.S. markets named in Aniai’s latest announcement. The company said it recently installed Alpha Grill at Galbi Burger in Arlington, Washington, marking its entry into the U.S. West Coast, after earlier deployments at The SSam in Midtown Manhattan and The Filling Station in New York. (prnewswire.com) Gunpil Hwang, Aniai’s chief executive, said in the May 13 release that U.S. operators were moving “beyond curiosity and into real adoption.” Hannah, founder of Galbi Burger, said the system let the restaurant run its burger program while adding grilled menu items “without adding more labor to the kitchen.” (prnewswire.com) ### How large is the company’s current footprint? Aniai said in January that Alpha Grill was deployed in more than 50 kitchens globally and had cooked more than 3 million burger patties and other food items. The company also said major franchise brands in Asia, including Lotteria, Mom’s Touch and Frank Burger, use the system in high-volume environments. (prnewswire.com) The company describes itself as U.S.-headquartered, with expansion priorities in both the United States and Asia. January materials said the latest funding included a $4 million investment from Korea Development Bank, bringing total funding to $19 million. (prnewswire.com) ### Why is the restaurant show launch important for Aniai? The National Restaurant Association Show runs from May 16 through May 19 at McCormick Place in Chicago and is one of the industry’s main annual trade events for equipment, technology and foodservice suppliers. Aniai’s website is using the event to direct visitors to booth 3288, where it says attendees can see the system in person. (prnewswire.com) May 16 is the next public milestone for the company. Aniai is scheduled to exhibit in the South Building at booth 3288 through May 19, according to the show directory and the company website. (directory.nationalrestaurantshow.com) (nationalrestaurantshow.com)