A robotic kitchen capable of preparing four hot meals at once in under four minutes has been installed for trial at First Clique, a fast-food outlet inside Abu Dhabi's Paragon Mall. The machine, known as the CA-1, was built by German company Circus Group and is designed to bring hot, freshly cooked food to places that typically lack proper restaurant options, such as airports, hospitals, universities and petrol stations. a shareholder at Circus Group, the unit is equipped with 36 ingredient silos, four induction cooking plates and two robotic arms that work in full coordination to prepare each dish. Its current menu offers 10 options, including chicken fajita, biryani, curry and pasta, and a single load of ingredients can produce up to 200 meals before it needs refilling. Prices start at Dh40, roughly $10.90, per dish.
Each machine costs around Dh1 million, about $272,000, to build. Circus Group, founded roughly five years ago, already operates 10 similar units in Germany, where the concept has been running successfully for about 18 months. Dylan Frayne, the company's culinary research and development chef, said particular attention has gone into matching the taste and texture of dishes a human chef would produce.
Sana Pathan, one of the first customers to try the robot-made food in Abu Dhabi, said she was impressed by both the speed and the quality of the meal. Bassler was clear that the technology is not meant to replace restaurants or human chefs. "You will always have restaurants. You will always have chefs in restaurants," he said. "We don't replace anyone. We offer an additional option." If the Abu Dhabi trial proves successful, Circus Group is expected to expand its robotic kitchens to more high-traffic locations across the UAE.