“Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.’s robots that expedite avocado mashing and burrito bowl assembly are ready to serve real-life customers.

The chain said Monday that it’s piloting the two machines in restaurants for the first time after they passed tests in a lab. For now, two California locations are each getting a robot, and the company will see how workers and guests respond before they’re installed elsewhere.

Chipotle’s move into robotics highlights an industrywide-push to make restaurants more efficient. The robots take time-consuming or undesirable tasks off workers’ plates, according to Chipotle, meaning employees can focus on prepping other food items or helping guests. Such technology can also allow restaurants to serve a higher number of diners per hour without necessarily having to hire more staff, boosting profit.

Known as Autocado, the guac prep robot can cut, core and peel avocados in 26 seconds on average. The newest version adjusts itself automatically to whatever size the fruit comes in.”

From Bloomberg.