Caliburger launches global growth initiatives, implementing kiosks, robots etc.

CaliBurger, a pioneer in automated restaurant technology, is expanding this year throughout North America, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. The company also announced that its face-based loyalty and payment ordering kiosks as well as Flippy, the burger flipping robot, will be available at multiple CaliBurger locations this year, a news release said

«Every new CaliBurger restaurant is being designed with an eye toward implementation of the technologies being developed by Cali Group's affiliated companies,» said Jonathan Wong, COO of CaliBurger, owned by Cali Group. «Our goal in the next 12 to 24 months is to begin deploying the unified Cali Group C-Vision technology platform, where the entire restaurant – from front of the house to back of the house – is operated from one app on a single tablet.»

New CaliBurger locations, according to the release, coming in 2018 include:

• North America: The the brand currently operates restaurants and food trucks in the Pacific Northwest, Southern California, and the Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia area. Two locations are under construction in British Columbia, Canada, and one will open in Seattle.

  Additionally, later in 2018, CaliBurger is planning to open new in-line restaurants in the Washington D.C. area and drive-thru formats in Maryland. A new flagship store in Santa Monica is scheduled to open by the end of the year.

• Middle East: CaliBurger has more restaurants in the Middle East than any other region. New stores under construction include one in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates at the Al Mansar Mall and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in the Moj Plaza.

  The brand is also planning to open additional stores throughout 2018 in the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

• Asia: In Asia, CaliBurger is repositioning the brand to be higher end, moving away from a fast casual brand and leaning into casual dining. A new location will soon open in Manila, Philippines.
• Latin America: CaliBurger plans to expand faster in Latin America than any other region of the world, according to the press release. The regional flagship, a 400-square-meter drive-thru unit, opened in Puebla, Mexico, in early 2018. The company also plans to launch additional new markets in Latin America later this year, for a total of 15 restaurant openings in the region. Four stores are under construction in Mexico, including two in Puebla, Mexico, one in Hermosillo, Mexico and one in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

Cali Group CEO John Miller keynoted the 2017 Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit, where he discussed the future of AR in the restaurant industry. This year's Summit is July 16-18 in London. Registration is now open.

Source: Kiosk Marketplace