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2d ago

Chipotle and Cava Co-Invest $25M to Accelerate Hyphen’s Kitchen Automation

Fast-casual rivals are co-investing in shared kitchen robots to handle growing pickup and delivery demand.

A Chipotle team member rolls a burrito while the automated makeline assembles a bowl.
Cava is investing up to $10 million in a food technology startup.
The Automated Makeline reduces waiting times and assists staff members so they can focus on customer service. Credit: wee dezign/Shutterstock.com.
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Overview

  • Hyphen closed a $25 million Series B round led by Chipotle’s Cultivate Next with $15 million and a $5 million investment plus a $5 million conditional commitment from Cava.
  • Cava is testing Hyphen’s automation on its back-of-house "second-make line" for digital orders and plans restaurant rollout in the coming months.
  • Hyphen’s assembly-station system automates meal production to boost speed, throughput and order accuracy while easing staff workloads.
  • In its fiscal second quarter ended July 13, Cava reported 20.3% revenue growth to $278.2 million with digital orders accounting for roughly 37% of sales.
  • This marks Cava’s first major automation investment and underscores a growing trend of fast-casual chains collaborating on shared operational technology.