Nurses, doctors, hospital staff, and visitors often have few overnight dining options to keep them going in the wee hours.
To meet this need, Aramark has strategically invested in RoboEatz’s Autonomous Robotic Kitchen (ARK) technology, with ABB Robotics and WellSpan Health, to deliver high-quality, customizable meals at any time, for any shift, and for any dietary need.
Bart Kaericher, president and CEO of Aramark Healthcare+, says: “We are impressed with the performance of this technology in our pilot testing and excited to begin offering it to our hospital partners.
“ARK is intended to complement our current workforce by streamlining operations and boosting efficiency and access, particularly for hospital staff during late night hours.”
ARK operates within a 400-square-foot footprint. It uses a robot to grab ingredients from storage bins to prepare up to four personalized bowl-based meals at a time, drawing from a selection of up to 80 fresh ingredients.
Its 24/7 availability ensures consistent access to meals beyond traditional dining hours through mobile or kiosk ordering. The system requires minimal staffing and provides replenishment alerts via a mobile app to dining services.
Utilizing Aramark’s point of sale system, menu management, and supply chain, ARK can manage end-to-end kitchen tasks including food storage, meal preparation, cleaning, and plating. The software ensures seamless integration and compliance with nutritional standards and food consistency.
Aramark successfully piloted ARK in a controlled test environment at a large healthcare partner hospital and the pilot provided valuable insights into the technology’s efficiency, space requirements, and user experience.
As Aramark leads the way in food service innovation, this autonomous technology represents a transformational step forward in the company’s ability to deliver reliable, high-quality products to enhance the dining experience.
This initiative is part of Aramark’s Hospitality IQ suite of technologies – designed to elevate hospitality across the enterprise.
As the backbone of Aramark’s digital strategy, Hospitality IQ is an enterprise-wide digital ecosystem that utilizes intelligent technologies to drive smarter, faster decision-making across hospitality operations.
Kaericher says: “Our investment in this autonomous kitchen technology reflects Aramark’s commitment to innovation that directly supports frontline healthcare workers.
“By combining robotics with our operational excellence, we’re delivering a scalable solution to meet the needs of those who work around the clock to care for others.”
