In the evolving world of gastronomy, a quiet transformation has emerged with the rise of dark kitchens. These anonymous spaces deliver meals for restaurants and delivery platforms alike, where the entry point to the kitchen is the same for every operation. Remy Robotics and its fleet of autonomous machines hint at a future where food preparation, catering services, and even hospital cafeterias could share a streamlined, high-efficiency model. A compact space dedicated to finishing pre-prepared meals, powered by near-silent, low-emission equipment, can process orders quickly. One person may oversee bagging and handoff to the delivery driver, keeping human presence minimal on the floor.
Companies such as OMG, Chop, and Challo—healthy, vegan Chinese, and Indian curry concepts respectively—originated in Barcelona around 2019 and advanced their own initiatives by 2021 after extensive research and development. Remy Robotics sits at the intersection of food delivery and kitchen automation, driving faster cooking times while preserving quality. The town’s Bruc street at number 86 hosts compact machines capable of preparing a meal in roughly two and a half minutes. With precision and reliability, the operation targets a steady daily output around 180 plates, peaking at about 70 meals per hour. The system streams a remarkable volume, delivering tens of thousands of plates each year.
Robotics and kitchen engineers
Remarkably, the site demonstrates a highly automated workflow where no staff remains stationary during order fulfillment. Behind the technology are roughly twenty robotics and kitchen engineers from diverse locations around the world. Key devices such as articulated arms, ovens, freezers, and quality-control stations communicate to execute pre-planned meal batches crafted by a team of five chefs.
The catalog continues to expand across all major gastronomy genres and almost every technique, from steaming to frying. Today the lineup includes hundreds of creations: sushi, curry, salmon, and more. The experience feels polished during a factory visit, showcasing a level of consistency that meets high standards of production.
After preparation, meals are placed into freezing compartments. Articulated arms retrieve them and load them onto oven trays, where heating varies by product type, target doneness, weight, and even the distance to the customer’s location. The process is described in terms of algorithmic cooking, a nod to the automated decision-making that shapes each dish as it moves toward completion.
Once cooking completes in a matter of seconds, the system pulls the trays from the ovens and positions them on baking sheets. A dedicated quality chart monitors temperature and weight calibration to ensure accuracy. Dishes are then sorted into numbered drawers in a way that keeps rows organized until a final human step occurs: bagging the meals and sending them out to the delivery chain.
In this evolving landscape, the rise of dark kitchens signals a shift toward standardized, scalable food production. Remy Robotics exemplifies how robots, sensors, and coordinated kitchen layouts can reduce variability, shorten delivery times, and sustain safety and consistency across multiple cuisine styles. The result is a model that could influence broader sectors—from casual dining to healthcare facilities—where reliable, rapid meal preparation matters as much as flavor and presentation. While human input remains essential, the balance increasingly favors automated precision to meet growing demand and evolving consumer expectations.