Helping Serve Healthcare Workers Healthy Custom Meals Amidst New Criteria for Food Safety

Chowbotics is deploying over 50 new robots providing fresh customizable meals to hospitals around the country, quadrupling their hospital presence since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Leaping from 16 hospitals on Feb 1, 2020, Chowbotics' Sally the salad robot is slated to be in 70 hospitals in the US and Europe by the end of June. As hospitals nationwide have shut down their salad bars amidst hygienic concerns and new food safety criteria, Sally provides much-needed safer access to fresh food 24/7 with the ability to customize meals for dietary preferences.

"Due to COVID-19 we have had to close our self-serve salad bar which really had a negative impact on customer service in our main cafeteria," explains Tonya Johnson, Director of Nutrition Services at UAMS (University Arkansas Medical School). "Fortunately we have two Sallys in other retail locations where people can still enjoy fresh salads with ingredients they choose. Sally has proven to be a valuable investment during this pandemic. The equipment provides a safe, sanitary method to distribute fresh ingredients."

Sally's airtight container keeps all ingredients protected from touch or exposure to the environment, greatly reducing the risk of contamination. In addition to providing a more hygienic experience, Sally gives users the ability to customize meals from up to 22 fresh ingredients with interactive nutrition information. This combination of safety and personalized nutrition helps hospitals in need of new custom foodservice solutions post COVID-19. Users can also select from pre-programmed meals at the tap of the button with recipes developed by Chowbotics' culinary team which includes alumni from Morimoto Napa, The French Laundry, and John Muir Health Center (a three hospital complex in California).

Since its launch, Chowbotics has deployed over 100 robots worldwide to universities, retail stores, and offices, in addition to hospitals. The company has served over 145,000 meals, demonstrating the ability to scale. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, Sally was present in 16 hospitals around the country, where 40% of all meals sold were served between the hours of 7pm and 7am, proving the need for 24/7 fresh foodservice. Now, that capability is more relevant than ever.

Chowbotics strives to keep hospital workers and their staff well-fed, and is working to ensure that they are able to supply as many Sallys to hospitals as quickly as possible. Hospitals receiving new robots include:

Lutheran Medical Center, Denver, CO
Good Samaritan Medical Center, West Palm Beach, FLA
Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute, Fort Pierce, FLA
Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center, Huntersville, NC

Resources: (Photos & Quotes)

Photo: Hospital staff enjoying a meal from Sally, the fresh food robot. Photo courtesy of Chowbotics.

"Due to COVID-19 we have had to close our self-serve salad bar which really had a negative impact on customer service in our main cafeteria. Fortunately we have two Sally's in other retail locations where people can still enjoy fresh salads with ingredients they choose. Sally has proven to be a valuable investment during this pandemic. The equipment provides a safe, sanitary method to distribute fresh ingredients. We also save on the labor and food waste associated with grab and go salads. Staff can prep Sally in less time than it takes to prepare the grab and go salads. The ingredients in Sally are also good for 7 days where grab and go salads are only good for 2 days. Customers can also pay directly at the machine which also helps with social distancing. I wish we had more robotic equipment like Sally in our food service areas." - Tonya Johnson, Director of Nutrition Services at UAMS (University Arkansas Medical School)

"At Lutheran Medical Center, we strive to provide fast, fresh and cost-effective food options for our staff. Since our café isn't open overnight, this leaves very limited options for our night shift staff. We are excited to introduce Sally the Salad Robot as an innovative and convenient way to order a healthy meal day or night," - Calvin Beasley, Vice President of Integrated Services at Lutheran Medical Center, Denver, CO

About Chowbotics: Chowbotics makes fresh food accessible with Sally, the first fresh food robot. Sally's innovative technology provides customizable salads, bowls and snacks 24/7 in a 3'X3' space. Chowbotics was recently selected as one of The World's Most Innovative Companies in Robotics by Fast Company, joining a prestigious list of companies "making the most profound impact on both industry and culture," and CEO Rick Wilmer was included in Nation's Restaurant News The Power List: The 50 most influential technology innovators in food service. The National Restaurant Association's Kitchen Innovation Awards, BIG Innovation Awards, Edison Awards, and Best in Biz Awards have all recognized Chowbotics for its impact on the foodservice industry. For more information, please visit http://www.chowbotics.com.