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Chipotle has found a creepy way to ensure all serving sizes are the same - and workers are not happy
Chipotle has developed robots to ensure all its servings are the same size.
The popular Mexican chain - with almost 3,400 US locations - has built a machine that can make up salad and bowl orders.
Bosses last week admitted that widespread customer complaints about varying portion sizes between stores were valid.
But there is another reason Chipotle bosses are so eager to press ahead - it will cut down the amount of workers needed, slashing increasing labor costs.
The so-called digital makeline - which portions up salads and bowls based on orders on the app - will be tested in restaurants in August, Chipotle CFO Jack Hartung told analysts.
Since two in three of the chain's orders are for these meals, executives believe the machine could free up a considerable amount of staff time.
It is one of several new robots, with the other major one being the 'Autocado', an avocado processing robot.
The advanced tech is undergoing final safety checks before being launched.
Chipotle is looking to introduce a digital makeline to put its salads and bowls together
The makeline could be introduced to restaurants as early as August this year
However, questions have already been raised about the safety of the digital makeline.
A promotional video released last year showed chopped ingredients bouncing out of bowls and into the machine, which some questioned as a potential hazard.
'Our food safety and operation teams have worked closely with our technology teams to assure that the design takes into account things like cleaning, speed and accuracy,' CEO Brian Niccol said on last week's call.
'There's a lot of things going on back at house to make us more effective culinary-wise, prep-wise, which then sets us up to be successful consistently.'
'We've got things that make us more efficient with prep, whether it's Autocado, a veggie slicer, a dual-sided grill, looking at modifications to our rice cooker, our fryer equipment,' Hartung said.
Adding: 'There's a lot of things going on back at house to make us more effective culinary-wise, prep-wise, which then sets us up to be successful consistently.'
It is not yet clear how the production costs of using machines compares to human labor when making Chipotle menu items.
It is also not yet apparent how many items the digital assembly line can make per hour compared to staff.
Chipotle has bet big on tech advancements, investing $100 million into its Cultivate Next fund.
The fund gives money to partner companies to develop machinery to hopefully one day be used at scale in its restaurants or supply chain.
Despite this the company has not relied on flashy new technology to fulfil high order volumes so far this year, but instead increased use of front-of-house staff, Restaurant Dive reported.
Chipotle has invested in making 'Autocado', an avocado processing robot
Wells Fargo analyst Zachary Fadem and his team ordered 75 burrito bowls from eight different locations across New York City
Chipotle's sales this year beaten Wall Street expectations - boosted by price hikes and a jump in loyal customers.
But the company has come under fire this year for varying portion sizes.
It prompted Chipotle's CEO Brian Nicol to deny that he had instructed staff to scrimp with servings as he revealed the company will be instituting changes to ensure satisfaction.
He revealed Chipotle will be retraining its staff to ensure 'generous portions' are consistent across its more than 3,500 stores.
Last month, Wells Fargo analyst Zachary Fadem and his team tested the theory that Chipotle has been skimping on its usually-large portions, after a series of videos posted to TikTok showed employees barely filling their burrito bowls.
The team ordered and weighed 75 bowls - all with the same ingredients - from eight locations across New York City.
They discovered that the consistency of the burrito bowls varied widely from restaurant to restaurant. Some locations served bowls that weighed up to 33 percent more than others, the study found.