Robots Efficiently Handle Noodle Preparation and Dish Clearing... CJ Foodville Drives Digital Transformation

Improving Employee Work Conditions by Assisting with Difficult and Dangerous Tasks
Also Providing Customers with Unique Dining Experiences
Since Introducing Noodle Cooking Robots in 2019, the Industry First
Serving Robots Deployed in 30 Stores Including Vips and Jeil Jemyunso

CJ Foodville is driving its 'Digital Transformation (DX)' by introducing various service robots for cooking, serving, and phone handling at its dining brands such as VIPS and Jeil Jemyunso. Through the adoption of robots, repetitive and hazardous tasks are shared by robots, improving employees' working conditions while providing customers with a unique dining experience.

Noodle cooking robot of CJ Foodville Vips.
Photo by CJ Foodville

According to the food service industry on the 19th, CJ Foodville first introduced the 'noodle cooking robot' in December 2019 at VIPS Seoul Gangseo-gu Deungchon branch, the first of its kind in the domestic food service industry, and has since expanded its operation to a total of 27 VIPS stores nationwide.

VIPS's noodle cooking robot operates by having customers select their desired ingredients at the noodle corner and hand the bowl to the robot, which then blanches the noodle ingredients in hot water and pours broth to complete the dish in just one minute. The robot uses 'motion control' technology developed through detailed study of chefs' movements to mimic actual chefs, and 'smart tool changer' technology that automatically switches various cooking utensils in sequence without dropping them, ensuring safe use.

Standing for long hours in front of hot flames to cook noodles posed a high risk of burns and made it difficult to cook multiple customers' orders simultaneously, making it one of the most avoided tasks by employees. CJ Foodville explains that having robots take over these tasks has significantly improved employee satisfaction with their working environment.

Serving robot operating at CJ Foodville Vips store.
[Photo by CJ Foodville]

CJ Foodville also operates serving robots at over 30 stores including VIPS and Jeil Jemyunso. The serving robots are equipped with indoor intelligent autonomous driving capabilities; when an employee inputs a table number on the robot's touch panel, it guides customers to their seats. Additionally, if customers wish to have their plates cleared, pressing a bell at the table sends the robot back to collect empty dishes and transport them to the kitchen. With 3D cameras and ultrasonic sensors, the robot smoothly navigates narrow spaces between tables, avoiding obstacles or stopping as needed.

Since January last year, AI (artificial intelligence) phone services have been sequentially introduced at about 30 stores including VIPS, The Place, and Jeil Jemyunso. Currently, AI handles about 70% of incoming calls at stores, significantly reducing missed reservation and inquiry calls during busy meal times when staff are occupied with floor service.

A CJ Foodville representative said, “By introducing service robots, we have reduced employees' burdens from hazardous or repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus more on directly attending to customers and providing better service. Customers also seem to prefer and enjoy the robot experience on-site because they can enjoy faster and more convenient service.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.