Restaurants are now being taken over by robots. The foodservice industry is increasingly turning to AI technology to address structural risks such as rapidly rising labor costs, shortages of skilled workers, and inconsistencies in food quality. Since the pandemic, the restaurant industry has faced a significantly more challenging operating environment, with rising wages, difficulties in recruiting workers, and variations in employee skill levels becoming persistent bottlenecks in kitchen operations. Against this backdrop, AI-powered cooking robots are gaining widespread attention across the industry as a solution capable of simultaneously improving efficiency and maintaining consistent food quality.
AI cooking robots are particularly suitable for foodservice businesses such as franchises, where standardized cooking methods are required. Rather than simply performing repetitive tasks, AI cooking robots can analyze and control cooking conditions in real time through a continuous loop of “sensor-based recognition – algorithmic computation – temperature and time control – automated cooking.” For example, when cooking meat, AI vision sensors can measure factors such as meat thickness, moisture content, and internal temperature, and automatically adjust cooking temperature, cooking time, and the number of times the meat is flipped. This enables both consistent taste and improved cooking efficiency. In particular, for ingredients such as meat, where even small variations in cooking conditions can significantly affect taste, this technology can achieve a level of precision that may exceed human consistency.
The AI cooking robot industry is also becoming an increasingly competitive technology sector worldwide. U.S.-based Miso Robotics has developed “Flippy,” a cooking robot for hamburgers, and is supplying it to department stores and fast-food chains. China’s Keenon Robotics is expanding beyond serving robots and focusing on the kitchen-assistant robot market. Countries around the world are competitively investing in the development and commercialization of technologies aimed at standardizing cooking quality and reducing dependence on human labor.
[Fig] Miso Robotics’ AI Cooking Robot ‘Flippy’
※Source: Miso Robotics Website
In Korea, one company attracting attention in the AI cooking robot sector is Beyond Honeycomb Co., Ltd. (CEO: Hyunki Jung). Beyond Honeycomb has commercialized technology specialized in automating meat cooking through its AI cooking robot called “GRILL X.” GRILL X is currently being supplied to franchises, hotels, and institutional foodservice facilities, and is equipped with technology that recognizes the condition of meat and performs optimal cooking without human intervention. The company recently secured KRW 10 billion in Series A bridge funding, bringing its cumulative investment to KRW 19.6 billion, and is accelerating its expansion into global markets, including North America.
[Fig] Beyond Honeycomb Co., Ltd.’s AI Cooking Robot ‘GRILL X’
※Source: Beyond Honeycomb Co., Ltd. Website
For Korea’s AI cooking robot industry to achieve technological independence and establish market leadership, proactively establishing an IP (Intellectual Property) strategy is particularly important. Technologies such as cooking algorithms, sensors for recognizing ingredient conditions, and cooking-result feedback systems should be subdivided by function and protected through divisional and continuation patent applications. It is also effective to secure both software copyrights and patents covering SaaS-based operating platforms. In particular, core technologies should be defined from the perspective of “configuration–operation–effect,” while quantitative effects such as improved cooking quality, reduced cooking time, and lower labor costs should be included in patent specifications to broaden the scope of protection.
At the same time, companies should analyze published patents of global market leaders and conduct FTO (Freedom to Operate) reviews. Where technological similarities exist, competitiveness should be secured through design-around strategies or blocking patents. As cooking robot technologies may eventually expand into hospital meals, in-flight meals, military foodservice, smart meal kits, and smart restaurants, comprehensive patent portfolios should be designed from the initial stage with expansion into multiple industries in mind. Compliance factors, including food hygiene regulations, robot certification requirements, and data collection regulations, should also be reflected in patent strategies.
Furthermore, as cooking robots evolve into SaaS-based kitchen platforms, technologies such as remote menu update systems, personalized user interfaces, and cooking-data collection and analytics engines should be protected through a combination of copyright registration and software patent applications to establish multilayered IP protection.
The BLT Research Center stated, “AI cooking robot technology is expected to create new opportunities for companies.” It added, “Securing rights to various technologies that use AI to reduce labor costs in the foodservice industry is expected to be an effective strategy.”
As of 2025, BLT Patent & Law Firm has been selected by more than 2,000 innovative startups as a partner, supporting corporate growth and success through IP acquisition, response strategy development, investment attraction, and IP-based business support such as technology-specialized listings.
#CookingRobot #AIKitchen #SmartKitchen #FoodTech #RobotAutomation #KitchenInnovation #FoodserviceInnovation #SmartCookingTechnology #BeyondHoneycomb #GRILLX #MisoRobotics #Flippy #KeenonRobotics
Restaurants are now being taken over by robots. The foodservice industry is increasingly turning to AI technology to address structural risks such as rapidly rising labor costs, shortages of skilled workers, and inconsistencies in food quality. Since the pandemic, the restaurant industry has faced a significantly more challenging operating environment, with rising wages, difficulties in recruiting workers, and variations in employee skill levels becoming persistent bottlenecks in kitchen operations. Against this backdrop, AI-powered cooking robots are gaining widespread attention across the industry as a solution capable of simultaneously improving efficiency and maintaining consistent food quality.
AI cooking robots are particularly suitable for foodservice businesses such as franchises, where standardized cooking methods are required. Rather than simply performing repetitive tasks, AI cooking robots can analyze and control cooking conditions in real time through a continuous loop of “sensor-based recognition – algorithmic computation – temperature and time control – automated cooking.” For example, when cooking meat, AI vision sensors can measure factors such as meat thickness, moisture content, and internal temperature, and automatically adjust cooking temperature, cooking time, and the number of times the meat is flipped. This enables both consistent taste and improved cooking efficiency. In particular, for ingredients such as meat, where even small variations in cooking conditions can significantly affect taste, this technology can achieve a level of precision that may exceed human consistency.
The AI cooking robot industry is also becoming an increasingly competitive technology sector worldwide. U.S.-based Miso Robotics has developed “Flippy,” a cooking robot for hamburgers, and is supplying it to department stores and fast-food chains. China’s Keenon Robotics is expanding beyond serving robots and focusing on the kitchen-assistant robot market. Countries around the world are competitively investing in the development and commercialization of technologies aimed at standardizing cooking quality and reducing dependence on human labor.
[Fig] Miso Robotics’ AI Cooking Robot ‘Flippy’
※Source: Miso Robotics Website
In Korea, one company attracting attention in the AI cooking robot sector is Beyond Honeycomb Co., Ltd. (CEO: Hyunki Jung). Beyond Honeycomb has commercialized technology specialized in automating meat cooking through its AI cooking robot called “GRILL X.” GRILL X is currently being supplied to franchises, hotels, and institutional foodservice facilities, and is equipped with technology that recognizes the condition of meat and performs optimal cooking without human intervention. The company recently secured KRW 10 billion in Series A bridge funding, bringing its cumulative investment to KRW 19.6 billion, and is accelerating its expansion into global markets, including North America.
[Fig] Beyond Honeycomb Co., Ltd.’s AI Cooking Robot ‘GRILL X’
※Source: Beyond Honeycomb Co., Ltd. Website
For Korea’s AI cooking robot industry to achieve technological independence and establish market leadership, proactively establishing an IP (Intellectual Property) strategy is particularly important. Technologies such as cooking algorithms, sensors for recognizing ingredient conditions, and cooking-result feedback systems should be subdivided by function and protected through divisional and continuation patent applications. It is also effective to secure both software copyrights and patents covering SaaS-based operating platforms. In particular, core technologies should be defined from the perspective of “configuration–operation–effect,” while quantitative effects such as improved cooking quality, reduced cooking time, and lower labor costs should be included in patent specifications to broaden the scope of protection.
At the same time, companies should analyze published patents of global market leaders and conduct FTO (Freedom to Operate) reviews. Where technological similarities exist, competitiveness should be secured through design-around strategies or blocking patents. As cooking robot technologies may eventually expand into hospital meals, in-flight meals, military foodservice, smart meal kits, and smart restaurants, comprehensive patent portfolios should be designed from the initial stage with expansion into multiple industries in mind. Compliance factors, including food hygiene regulations, robot certification requirements, and data collection regulations, should also be reflected in patent strategies.
Furthermore, as cooking robots evolve into SaaS-based kitchen platforms, technologies such as remote menu update systems, personalized user interfaces, and cooking-data collection and analytics engines should be protected through a combination of copyright registration and software patent applications to establish multilayered IP protection.
The BLT Research Center stated, “AI cooking robot technology is expected to create new opportunities for companies.” It added, “Securing rights to various technologies that use AI to reduce labor costs in the foodservice industry is expected to be an effective strategy.”
As of 2025, BLT Patent & Law Firm has been selected by more than 2,000 innovative startups as a partner, supporting corporate growth and success through IP acquisition, response strategy development, investment attraction, and IP-based business support such as technology-specialized listings.
#CookingRobot #AIKitchen #SmartKitchen #FoodTech #RobotAutomation #KitchenInnovation #FoodserviceInnovation #SmartCookingTechnology #BeyondHoneycomb #GRILLX #MisoRobotics #Flippy #KeenonRobotics