“I believe this is the future,” says Racheli Vizman, co-founder and CEO of SavorEat, the United States’ first plant-based robot chef, which creates orders to customers’ exact specifications using AI and 3-D printing. Through a partnership with global food service leader Sodexo, the Israel-based company launched at the University of Denver earlier this month.
Vizman and co-founder Oded Shoseyov chose to debut SavorEat in Denver because of the city's progressive advancements in technology and its high proportion of flexitarian eaters. Specifically, DU was chosen for its renowned engineering school and because students are often the early adopters of such innovations.
“We see it already in the support [and] feedback that we're getting," Vizman says. "People are really crazy about it." Two SavorEat machines are stationed at the university’s Rebecca Chopp Grand Central Market, which also serves pizza, pasta and other entrees, including traditional beef burgers.
Vice president of R&D Shai Sultan notes that on average, students have ordered seventy to one hundred plant-based burgers per day since SavorEat launched, making up nearly a quarter of all burger sales — meat patties included.
Near this popular food stall, SavorEat has mounted two tablets that allow students to customize their orders. Quantities of fat and protein, which is derived from peas and chickpeas, can be tailored to preferences.
The sporty option contains 14 percent of one's daily value of fat and 22 percent of protein, whereas the chef option has 20 and 16 percent, respectively. Customers then select the grill settings, choosing between juicy or well done. Once the order is submitted, they receive a receipt that states the amount of carbon dioxide saved by opting for a plant-based burger over a beef patty of the same size.
Vizman and co-founder Oded Shoseyov chose to debut SavorEat in Denver because of the city's progressive advancements in technology and its high proportion of flexitarian eaters. Specifically, DU was chosen for its renowned engineering school and because students are often the early adopters of such innovations.
“We see it already in the support [and] feedback that we're getting," Vizman says. "People are really crazy about it." Two SavorEat machines are stationed at the university’s Rebecca Chopp Grand Central Market, which also serves pizza, pasta and other entrees, including traditional beef burgers.
Vice president of R&D Shai Sultan notes that on average, students have ordered seventy to one hundred plant-based burgers per day since SavorEat launched, making up nearly a quarter of all burger sales — meat patties included.
Near this popular food stall, SavorEat has mounted two tablets that allow students to customize their orders. Quantities of fat and protein, which is derived from peas and chickpeas, can be tailored to preferences.
The sporty option contains 14 percent of one's daily value of fat and 22 percent of protein, whereas the chef option has 20 and 16 percent, respectively. Customers then select the grill settings, choosing between juicy or well done. Once the order is submitted, they receive a receipt that states the amount of carbon dioxide saved by opting for a plant-based burger over a beef patty of the same size.
I ordered a juicy chef burger and, according to my receipt, saved 9.7 pounds of CO2. Additionally, I received a vegan meal in just five minutes that genuinely impressed. Unlike many veggie burgers, the SavorEat patty doesn’t squish or crumble. Its firm, grilled exterior and tender texture mirrors that of meat — somewhat similar to a Beyond Burger, but less greasy. I found it to be well seasoned, craveable, and the perfect portion.
At DU, SavorEat only currently creates its regular-sized four-ounce burgers, but the technology has the ability to produce 2.7-ounce and 4.7-ounce patties for varying hunger levels, as well as several other foods such as plant-based versions of chicken, steak, pork and even seafood.
“I missed variety, so I want to create a variety,” explains Vizman, who was inspired to develop SavorEat nine years ago when a very severe medical situation limited her to a strict diet. At the time, she was a chemical engineer within the health-care industry and was very familiar with nutritional labels. But even then, Vizman admits, she struggled to understand what she could and couldn’t eat.
SavorEat products avoid all common allergens, including soy and gluten, as well as cholesterol, hormones, antibiotics, preservatives and GMOs. Yet its foods are satisfying and don't compromise on flavor or experience, plus its offerings are highly consistent. Addressing all of these essential factors required many skilled professionals, including specialists in food science, plant molecular biology, mechanical engineering, biochemistry and business.
Analytics also drive decisions at SavorEat. “Besides a lot of burgers, we create a lot of data. We can tell what people like most, what people like less, and we can even anticipate [trends] using AI,” says Sultan.
“The R&D team works on developing the robot, the hardware and the algorithm behind it that can help us to understand the patterns and how we can [use] that data to improve the next versions of our product,” adds Vizman.
At DU, SavorEat only currently creates its regular-sized four-ounce burgers, but the technology has the ability to produce 2.7-ounce and 4.7-ounce patties for varying hunger levels, as well as several other foods such as plant-based versions of chicken, steak, pork and even seafood.
“I missed variety, so I want to create a variety,” explains Vizman, who was inspired to develop SavorEat nine years ago when a very severe medical situation limited her to a strict diet. At the time, she was a chemical engineer within the health-care industry and was very familiar with nutritional labels. But even then, Vizman admits, she struggled to understand what she could and couldn’t eat.
SavorEat products avoid all common allergens, including soy and gluten, as well as cholesterol, hormones, antibiotics, preservatives and GMOs. Yet its foods are satisfying and don't compromise on flavor or experience, plus its offerings are highly consistent. Addressing all of these essential factors required many skilled professionals, including specialists in food science, plant molecular biology, mechanical engineering, biochemistry and business.
Analytics also drive decisions at SavorEat. “Besides a lot of burgers, we create a lot of data. We can tell what people like most, what people like less, and we can even anticipate [trends] using AI,” says Sultan.
“The R&D team works on developing the robot, the hardware and the algorithm behind it that can help us to understand the patterns and how we can [use] that data to improve the next versions of our product,” adds Vizman.
“Developing this type of [complex] machine takes a lot of time. We've got a lot of feedback from customers. It was, up to now, customers in Israel — high-tech companies, conventions, restaurants. We have tried all kinds of dining rooms in different places,” comments Sultan.
“Now, we have customers also in the U.S. where we can understand how a kitchen works, how we fit into existing kitchens," he continues. "We don't want to be a hassle. We want to help the operators to facilitate, to make the operation much easier [and] much faster.”
One major selling point is that SavorEat doesn’t require a hood. This allows the company to target a vast number of businesses, including convenience stores, hotels and food trucks. SavorEat also addresses one of the restaurant industry’s greatest challenges: labor shortages and employee retention.
“We are flexible,” says Sultan. SavorEat can connect with stationary tablets, like at the University of Denver, but can also be used by waitstaff. End consumers can also specify their orders via a smartphone app. “We can customize the whole solution to a specific customer. It's a matter of software,” Sultan adds. If a business decides to introduce new products to its menu, “it’s the press of a button and it’s available for sale.”
Concludes Vizman: “We want to accelerate our success here in the U.S. Colorado is just the initial step for us.”
“Now, we have customers also in the U.S. where we can understand how a kitchen works, how we fit into existing kitchens," he continues. "We don't want to be a hassle. We want to help the operators to facilitate, to make the operation much easier [and] much faster.”
One major selling point is that SavorEat doesn’t require a hood. This allows the company to target a vast number of businesses, including convenience stores, hotels and food trucks. SavorEat also addresses one of the restaurant industry’s greatest challenges: labor shortages and employee retention.
“We are flexible,” says Sultan. SavorEat can connect with stationary tablets, like at the University of Denver, but can also be used by waitstaff. End consumers can also specify their orders via a smartphone app. “We can customize the whole solution to a specific customer. It's a matter of software,” Sultan adds. If a business decides to introduce new products to its menu, “it’s the press of a button and it’s available for sale.”
Concludes Vizman: “We want to accelerate our success here in the U.S. Colorado is just the initial step for us.”
