Key Takeaways
- Andrew Simmons shares insights on pizza automation technology and its cost-effectiveness through his LinkedIn posts.
- His ongoing experiments aim to develop a nationwide chain of tech-driven pizza restaurants using a crowdfunding model.
- Recent changes in California’s employment laws are motivating increased automation adoption in the restaurant industry.
Innovations in Pizza Automation
Andrew Simmons, a pioneering figure in the pizza industry, is making waves on LinkedIn with his in-depth posts about utilizing automation technology in his restaurants. Based in the San Diego area, Simmons has become a go-to resource for both small and large pizza operators interested in transforming their businesses through technology.
With ambitions to expand beyond his original establishment into a nationwide chain of tech-powered pizza restaurants, Simmons is actively testing various automation systems. His approach includes a unique crowdfunding model, where he sells subscriptions and shares of future pizza profits, effectively creating a living laboratory for industry experimentation.
In a recent post, Simmons analyzed the costs associated with his pizza-making automation processes, revealing a cost-per-pizza of just $1.91 for 2024. He detailed the expenditures for each stage of pizza production, from dough preparation to toppings, making his results transparent and educational for others in the industry.
Throughout the past year, Simmons has experimented with different automation systems. Notably, he switched from the Picnic pizza robot to the more expensive Middleby Pizza Bot, which simplifies the process by minimizing the need for human intervention. While this upgrade adds about 60 cents to the per-pizza cost, it enhances efficiency by managing the entire pizza-making process from dough blank to cooked pie. The Picnic robot, while cheaper at approximately 38 cents per pizza this year, requires more manual involvement to cook the pizzas.
Simmons attributes some of his motivation for adopting these automated solutions to recent changes in California’s employment laws, which he believes will push more restaurant chains to experiment with automation to mitigate labor costs. “Thank you to the pioneers in this space that have tried, adopted, succeeded or failed, equipment manufacturers and restaurateurs alike; and to Governor Newsom for accelerating the adoption of automation,” he remarked in one of his posts.
Operators in the restaurant industry are encouraged to follow Simmons’s journey on LinkedIn, where his candid insights and continuous experimentation offer valuable knowledge for those looking to modernize their pizza businesses. As the landscape of food service evolves, Simmons stands at the forefront, advocating for a tech-driven future in the pizza sector.
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