Experience Innovation: Learn Automation at the MIK

Nestled within a sprawling 40,000 square feet space, the Middleby Innovation Kitchens (MIK) stands as a beacon of culinary excellence and innovation. Led by Certified Master Chef Russell Scott, the MIK is more than just a space. It’s a culinary playground featuring over 150 pieces of the latest Middleby commercial kitchen innovation across 15 active cooking vignettes. The MIK serves as a haven for hands-on exploration, where chef-driven demonstrations intersect with cutting-edge Middleby technologies.

Designed with our customers and channel partners in mind, the MIK is a holistic learning environment that showcases a broad spectrum of innovations. From automation and IoT to beverage, brewing, ventless cooking, and refrigeration technologies, the MIK is conveniently located just 15 minutes from DFW Airport. Yes, it’s easy to get to the MIK.

Our new blog series, Experience Innovation, will highlight many of the cooking vignettes available for demonstration and hands-on use at the MIK. To begin, let’s delve into the world of automation and IoT in today’s commercial kitchen, areas where efficiency meets creativity.

Experience Automation and IoT at the MIK

At the heart of our innovation lies automation. Here, robotics revolutionize the culinary landscape, offering time and cost savings while ensuring consistency. Experience how Middleby leads the way at the MIK. By showcasing the latest technology and innovation, customers and channel partners can see robotics in action across various applications. Explore automation in pizza making, grilling, frying, IoT integration, delivery logistics, and more.

The benefits of robotics in commercial kitchens can be exponential, no matter what the operation type. For c-stores, universities, and healthcare facilities, automation can allow for foodservice to continue during additional hours of the day because fewer human resources are needed to run it. And whether it’s pizza or french fries, 24-hour service can be made to order.

L2F’s PizzaBot™

Visitors to the MIK can step into a world of unparalleled pizza perfection with L2F’s innovative PizzaBot, a groundbreaking solution that redefines the art of pizza making. Seamlessly blending embedded and robotic technologies, the PizzaBot brings efficiency and consistency to every pie. This cutting-edge system ensures that each pizza is crafted to perfection, from the crust to the toppings, with precision and accuracy. With the PizzaBot at your disposal, operators can save valuable time and resources while delivering a consistently exceptional product, enhancing customer satisfaction, and driving profits.

L2F’s FryBot™

Engineered to deliver high-quality, consistent fried foods, the L2F’s FryBot takes the guesswork out of fry preparation, allowing operators to focus on other aspects of kitchen production. By automating the frying process, FryBot can reduce labor costs while ensuring that each batch is cooked to perfection. While FryBot can automate the portioning and frying, L2F’s SpiceBot™ automates the seasoning process to drive consistency hour to hour within a location — and from location to location. Efficiency isn’t the only benefit of robotics in a commercial kitchen. L2F equipment also enhances safety by automating fryer use, which can often be one of the dirtiest and most dangerous units in the back of the house. FryBot is a reliable and efficient solution to automate your frying tasks, whether it’s french fries, wings, tenders, poppers, churros, and more. With its user-friendly interface and advanced technology, FryBot empowers operators to deliver a superior fry experience, allowing them to focus on the customer.

A Kitchen Connected with Robotics

With the connection of FryBot and PizzaBot to point-of-sale or kitchen display systems, Carter-Hoffmann warmer lockers, and delivery services (i.e., Uber Eats, GrubHub, etc.), Middleby Automation and our partners offer a complete integrated and turnkey automated restaurant. Design a kitchen that requires less labor and is highly predictable, consistent, and efficient. This automated work cell is always on, always delicious. Customers can easily order a meal from a mobile app, pick up their food, and enjoy a takeout meal prepared largely by robotics. Say goodbye to those long lines and waiting for food. The higher tech, digital kitchen with L2F is here.

Open Kitchen from Powerhouse Dynamics

By connecting, analyzing, and controlling key equipment, including refrigeration, HVAC, and various types of commercial kitchen appliances, Powerhouse Dynamics’s Open Kitchen IoT solutions streamlines essential facility functions. By optimizing workflow and enhancing operational efficiency with real-time alerts, workflow processing, and corrective action tracking, operators can proactively manage their kitchen operations and ensure seamless performance. Unlike other solutions on the market, Open Kitchen offers unparalleled openness and flexibility, providing visibility across all locations and equipment through a single OEM-agnostic portal. It serves as a complete food safety solution, automating temperature monitoring, task management, HACCP reporting, and mobile data capture. Additionally, Open Kitchen doubles as an energy management system, swiftly offsetting costs through utility bill reductions, making it a financially savvy investment for foodservice providers seeking to optimize their operations while ensuring, equipment uptime, food safety compliance, and energy efficiency.

How’s that for automation?

Experience automation, robotics, and IoT solutions at the Middleby Innovation Kitchen. Discover the future of foodservice. Visit the MIK today.