Restaurant-as-a-Service Platform Creates Business Opportunities for Aspiring Chefs, as well as Established Restaurants and Chains
Nala Robotics, an AI technology company revolutionizing the culinary industry, today launched Nala Marketplace, a network of fully customizable robotic chefs that allows anyone, from aspiring restaurateurs to fast-food chains to easily open a proprietary cloud-based kitchen in less than 24 hours.
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“Our multi-cuisine robotic chefs are now available to anyone with a culinary passion who aspires to launch their own virtual restaurant or food brand,” said Ajay Sunkara, cofounder and CEO, Nala Robotics. “Whether it’s an at-home chef who wants to start a food delivery business or a restaurant chain looking to enter a new market, our AI chefs can cook nearly any type of ethnic food, including Chinese, Thai, Italian, Indian, Mexican, Portuguese, as well as popular American food items such as burgers, salads, soups and more.”
Nala Robotics recently introduced the world’s first fully automated multi-cuisine chef, a customizable robot that uses machine learning to cook infinite recipes replicated with exact precision anytime, anywhere. The technology is currently in use at three restaurants located in Naperville, Ill.
Marketplace customers upload recipes and menu items to Nala Robotics’ highly secure database, while creating a virtual storefront. Orders are placed through a website or online food ordering and delivery platform and subsequently sent to the automated chef where they are fulfilled by sourcing ingredients from a high-tech pantry, picked up and/or delivered to intended customers. The first Nala Marketplace location opened last month in Naperville, Ill. The company plans to open additional cloud-based kitchens in local markets across the country.
“Nala Marketplace is the perfect platform for anyone starting their own restaurant,” said Michael Chintamaneni, owner of Illinois-based DesiOwl, a new late-night takeout and delivery restaurant launched through Nala Marketplace that offers street-style, Indo-Chinese cuisine. “Startup costs were minimal and exponentially lower than it would cost to open a traditional restaurant. The entire setup cost less than a thousand dollars. I also don’t have to worry about staffing, which is ideal given the culinary industry’s tight labor market. It seemed too good to be true, but I was able to open my own restaurant in 24 hours and now our food is available to all customers throughout Naperville and Aurora.”
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Nala Robotics provides a full, customizable turnkey solution for aspiring cloud-based kitchens, from restaurant setup to launch. A team of engineers and culinary experts work directly with each restaurateur to replicate menus using Nala Robotics’ automated chefs, where dishes are prepared, taste tested and refined before they are uploaded to the Nala Marketplace platform. Customers pay a $250 enrollment fee per location, plus a monthly licensing fee based on order volume. A percentage of sales for each restaurant goes to Nala Robotics.
“Our Nala Marketplace makes it possible for anyone to own and operate a cloud kitchen without any of the infrastructure and labor costs,” added Sunkara. “Labor expenses are reduced by as much as 60 percent, which also addresses staffing shortages throughout the food and hospitality industry. The best part is that consumers will have access to consistent, authentic and innovative dishes, whether it’s a proven family recipe passed down from generations or a totally new food concept. The possibilities are endless.”