Panasonic to Launch Automated Restaurant Business in China

October 26, 2018

Tokyo- Japan's Panasonic Corp. said Thursday that it will launch a smart restaurant business in which robots serve food, in cooperation with a major Chinese restaurant chain operator.

The first such restaurant will open in Beijing late this month. The major electronics maker aims to establish such restaurants worldwide.

The smart restaurant business will be operated through a joint company Panasonic set up with the partner, Haidilao International Holding Ltd., in Singapore in March.

Haidilao runs some 360 hot pot restaurants in China, the United States, Japan and elsewhere.

The joint company, established with capital of 20 million dollars, is owned 51 pct by Haidilao and 49 pct by Panasonic.

At smart restaurants, robots with arms will collect food items for hot pot dishes in kitchens based on orders from customers. Part of the work of serving food will be also automated.

The two companies expect that the use of robots will help improve work efficiency and hygiene.

Panasonic will develop and supply equipment to automate restaurant services.

"Automation of restaurant and retail store operations has not been fully achieved," Yasuyuki Higuchi, senior managing executive officer of Panasonic, told a press conference.

Panasonic hopes to strengthen its business-process automation operations not only for factories but also in many other fields, Higuchi said. Jiji Press