World Cup winning forward Lukas Podolski is planning to rapidly expand his Cologne-based kebab chain with robot fast-food machines across Germany and Poland.
The 39-year-old wants to help a German robotics startup - Circus - with its plans to produce 2,400 machines that will prepare and sell kebabs without staff.
However, the plan will only work if the kebab chain is able to achieve rapid growth and if automation actually works in the test branches.
Podolski opened the first kebab shop with his business partner Metin Dag in 2010. A decade later, large-scale expansion began through independent franchisees.
However, the plan will only work if the kebab chain is able to achieve rapid growth and if automation actually works in the test branches.
Podolski opened the first kebab shop with his business partner Metin Dag in 2010. A decade later, large-scale expansion began through independent franchisees.
The recent opening of the first Berlin branch in the Kreuzberg district symbolizes the company’s nationwide ambitions. If the concept is successful, the chain could accelerate its growth with the machines, since there is no need for staff and smaller locations are sufficient.
However, according to Circus, a single machine costs about €200,000 or more.
Circus does not have any real clients for its machines - there are only verbal agreements with a canteen operator in Beijing, a caterer for German refugee homes, plus a canteen at the Berlin airport.
The first part of the plan is for vending machines to complement conventional kitchens. The second stage is for fully autonomous devices that operate without personnel.
The first robotic branch is set to open in Cologne or Düsseldorf in 2025 and will determine whether the business is viable. The device will prepare food in two to four minutes, with up to eight orders at a time.
The device cooks in small pots that are heated by induction and orders are made on a touchscreen, similar to the self-service terminals at McDonald's.
The potential in Germany could be huge. Restaurants and canteens are short of workers.
“The shortage of labor and skilled workers is one of the biggest problems in the industry,” says Sandra Warden, managing director of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga), where she is responsible for the labor market.
Podolski was born in Gliwice, southern Poland, and began his football career in Germany, going on to play for various top elite clubs in Europe, such as Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter Milan. He won 130 caps for Germany and scored 49 goals.
After entering the twilight of his career, he moved to the Polish Ekstraklasa, where he plays for his childhood club Górnik Zabrze.
However, according to Circus, a single machine costs about €200,000 or more.
Circus does not have any real clients for its machines - there are only verbal agreements with a canteen operator in Beijing, a caterer for German refugee homes, plus a canteen at the Berlin airport.
The first part of the plan is for vending machines to complement conventional kitchens. The second stage is for fully autonomous devices that operate without personnel.
The first robotic branch is set to open in Cologne or Düsseldorf in 2025 and will determine whether the business is viable. The device will prepare food in two to four minutes, with up to eight orders at a time.
The device cooks in small pots that are heated by induction and orders are made on a touchscreen, similar to the self-service terminals at McDonald's.
The potential in Germany could be huge. Restaurants and canteens are short of workers.
“The shortage of labor and skilled workers is one of the biggest problems in the industry,” says Sandra Warden, managing director of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga), where she is responsible for the labor market.
Podolski was born in Gliwice, southern Poland, and began his football career in Germany, going on to play for various top elite clubs in Europe, such as Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter Milan. He won 130 caps for Germany and scored 49 goals.
After entering the twilight of his career, he moved to the Polish Ekstraklasa, where he plays for his childhood club Górnik Zabrze.
Source: Onet
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