The adoption of robot chefs is gradually gaining momentum in South Korea. In August 2021, domestic chicken franchise Kyochon opened its store with a cooking robot in the western port city of Incheon that helps its human coworkers in the kitchen. In May 2023, robot chefs created by Doosan Robotics, a domestic collaborative robot manufacturer, were used at a golf event in the eastern city of Chuncheon to provide noodles, fried chicken menus, and hot dogs. According to data released by the state-run Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, the domestic collaborative robot market is expected to reach $366.5 million in 2025.
"We plan to use our robots to cook chicken during the event. However, the menu can change depending on the internal circumstances," CJ Freshway's communications manager Park Joo-hee told Aju Korea Daily on October 10. The smart restaurant will be operated in Seocho, a district in southern Seoul, on October 18 and 19. Anyone can enjoy food for free after reserving their spot.
During the two-day event, a serving robot will be used to deliver food items. Serving robots, capable of avoiding obstacles and reaching their destination, are often witnessed at restaurants and coffee shops in South Korea. As of May 2023, there were some 8,000 serving robots in operation in the country.
The event titled "Food Solution Fair 2023" is designed to present domestic trends in food service and food material distribution. The fair will be attended by some 70 organizations including food tech companies and CJ Freshway's clients and partners.
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