Zhi Tong Cai Jing·2025-10-14 08:49Core Viewpoint - The application of B-end commercial cooking robots in chain restaurants is accelerating, with significant potential for cost reduction and enhanced customer experience [1][3][4] Group 1: Industry Adoption - The restaurant industry is actively embracing cooking robots, with notable examples including Haidilao, which launched a smart restaurant in 2018, and Xiaocaiyuan, which plans to invest approximately 100 million yuan to procure 2,000 cooking robots [1][2] - Other chains like Laoxiangji and Xiangcunji are also integrating smart cooking robots into their operations, with Laoxiangji having introduced automation in 388 restaurants by April 2025 [1][2] Group 2: Cost Reduction and Efficiency - The supply of chefs is decreasing, with training participants at the New Oriental Culinary School dropping from 77,000 in 2019 to 63,000 in 2024, a decline of 18% [3] - The post-pandemic restaurant industry faces cost pressures, prompting owners to reform kitchen processes for cost reduction and efficiency, with one cooking robot capable of replacing 2-3 chefs [3] Group 3: Technological Advancement - Current mainstream commercial cooking robots are priced around 50,000 yuan per unit, with expectations for price reduction as production scales and technology matures [4] - Future developments include transitioning from "single-machine automation" to "full-process collaboration," utilizing AI for cooking adjustments, and integrating with ERP systems for resource tracking [4]