Whether it’s delivered via ATM, 3D printer or drone, two things appear to be true about the pizza of the future: it’s gonna get there quicker, and it’s gonna get there fresher.
Nowhere is this more evident than at California’s Zume Pizza, a Silicon Valley shop that uses robots, algorithms and an app to serve up delivery-only pies that are literally fresh out of the oven. Using a delivery truck with 56 mini-ovens powered by “Baked on the Way” technology, Zume Pizza brings customers pre-baked pies that came out of the oven just four minutes before service.
The 14-inch pies — which are mainly put together by robots at Zume’s shop before being loaded onto the truck — only have to be handled by a human when they’re getting covered with toppings, cut into slices and handed over to a hungry customer. By automating the prep and delivery process, Zume is able to devote more resources to finding good sources for local ingredients, cutting down on waste and making things simple for drivers.
“She doesn’t have to think about when to turn the ovens on, whether to turn the ovens off,” company co-founder Julia Collins told NPR. “She doesn’t have to think about what route to take or [whom] to go to first. All of that is driven off of our algorithm.”
With names like Saul Goodman, SGT. Pepperoni and Cheazy-E, the pizzas are priced starting at $15 with free delivery and no tips accepted.
Sounds like a pretty good deal, no matter how you slice it.
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