Robots are now making fries at White Castle – and it’s weirder than you think 

White Castle have announced they’ll be utilizing the power of robotics to make their hamburgers in future. 

The popular fast food chain is installing a long robotic arm, affectionately termed Flippy 2, that hovers over the frying section of the restaurant. Designed by Miso Robotics, a company that manufactures artificial intelligence-driven robots, they will be introduced region by region. 

A spokesperson for the brand stated, “Flippy 2 alleviates the pain points that come with back-of-house roles at quick-service restaurants to create a working environment for its human coworkers that maximizes the efficiency of the kitchen”.

What does the robot do? 

In terms of what Flippy 2 can do, the machine has the ability to take over an entire frying station. This means that the robot can whip up french fries, chicken nuggets, and even more delicate items like tacos and onion rings. 

But does this mean that we have yet another customer service job replaced by AI? The makers of Flippy 2 dispute this question, stating that the robot merely aids in the more tedious aspects of the role. 

“Flippy works alongside human chefs and kitchen staff. It takes on repetitive, time-consuming, and dangerous tasks, freeing people to focus on more creative and complex aspects of food preparation”. 

White Castle’s vice president agrees, stating “The team members who work with Flippy are really, really happy and the rollout is going really well”. 

White Castle isn’t the first chain to delve into AI either, as both Checkers and Mcdonald’s are experimenting with AI-operated order-taking systems at drive-throughs. We’ve even witnessed robots acting as servers in some restaurants, delivering food to customers and waiting on tables. 

Flippy 2 will be introduced in nearly one-third of the company’s restaurants, across the Southwest, Midwest, and New York area.