Top story · In the Pro Kitchen
CPK is partnering with contractor Ranger Group to install and run automated pizza machines on Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard bases, starting in the U.S. Guests order on a touchscreen and a TurboChef oven bakes a pizza in as little as 90 seconds. It is part of CPK's plan for up to 1,000 kiosks over three years at sites like airports, universities and hospitals; base count and start date weren't disclosed.
Read at Nation's Restaurant News →The Weekly · November 6
From The Old Kitchen · Thanksgiving
In the Pro Kitchen
Texas Roadhouse's self-built handheld point-of-sale app, now in its second version, runs in about 100 restaurants, and the chain plans to add roughly 200 more in 2027, possibly finishing by the end of 2028. Its kitchen display rollout is already complete. Takeout averaged $23,628 a week per company restaurant in Q3, up from $21,409, though the company didn't credit the tech for that gain.
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Cuisinart has launched its ClearView range in Australia: a 3.8L glass air fryer at $199 RRP and a 9-in-1 8.5L model at $229. Both are 1,800W, reach 230°C and use PFAS-free ceramic-coated crisper plates, with two viewing windows and interior lights; the 3.8L's glass bowl comes with a lid for storing leftovers. They're on sale now through appliance and kitchenware retailers and direct from Cuisinart.
In the Pro Kitchen
Drone company Zipline announced Nov 5 that it raised $1.5 billion at a $21.5 billion valuation; Walmart is adding 300 Zipline sites and Uber plans Zipline deliveries via Uber Eats in Dallas and Houston. Zipline says its longest-standing restaurant customers saw order value rise 26% from March to October, with drones' share of their delivery revenue climbing from 10.8% to 34.9%. Wonder plans drone delivery from some Dallas locations starting January 2027.
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JURA has added a Diamond White finish to its second-generation Z10 automatic coffee machine in Australia, at $4,990 RRP. The Z10 makes 51 drinks across hot, light, cold and sweet categories, with a product-recognising grinder, an app-controlled timer, a three-level caffeine setting and up to four user profiles. It's available now online and at selected electrical and specialty retailers.
Weekend Recipe · Sous vide circulator
A thick bone-in rib chop cooks in a 140°F water bath for 45 minutes, then gets a fast butter sear in cast iron. Fingerling potatoes crisp up in the same pan, so dinner for two comes together with one skillet.
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The Philips Instant Pure Water Tap (AUT9028), which dispenses boiling and chilled reverse-osmosis water hands-free, now comes in brushed nickel and polished chrome as well as dark grey, at Harvey Norman, The Good Guys and Bing Lee from this month for an RRP of AU$2,799. Distributor AquaShield also published SGS lab tests it commissioned: the membrane alone cut 199 of 268 tested substances by 99% or more, though real-world results may vary.
Cuisinart has started rolling out a Color Collection of 11 countertop appliances in shades such as Tahini, Sage, Bayside and Blush. The line covers a 4-quart glass air fryer, a 6-quart basket air fryer, a compact toaster oven air fryer, two ice cream makers, a 5-cup food processor, retro toasters and a kettle. They're sold at Cuisinart.com and other retailers including Amazon and Target, with more products and colors arriving through early 2027; no prices were given.
Announced Nov 6, Hotpoint's new range cooker collection for its 115th anniversary spans 10 models in 90cm and 100cm widths, each with three separate ovens. The 90cm main oven air-fries, the top oven has a pizza setting that reaches 310°C, and the 100cm models add a steam setting. Prices start at £1,299 at UK retailers including Currys and AO.com.
Magnifique has launched the Combo 12-in-1 Air Fryer and Multi-Cooker, built around a 4.5-quart glass pot with stainless steel and no coatings. An AirCrisper lid adds four air-frying modes, while the base handles eight more, including slow cooking, steaming, rice and pasta. It sells for $249.99 in oatmeal or sage and is not sold in the UK.
A new FlexiStart feature in Beko's HomeWhiz app times connected dishwashers, washers and dryers to lower-priced electricity hours, either from a partner energy company's tariff or hours you enter yourself. It starts in January 2027 with energy-provider links in Germany and Türkiye after a Dutch pilot; fridges and air conditioners are due later in 2027.
Gaggenau launched its 10-model Vario Cooling Expressive range of built-in fridges, freezers and wine cabinets in Australia this week. The wine units use an infrared sensor to bring a bottle to serving temperature automatically and run up to three climate zones; the fridges manage temperature, humidity and ethylene. All have a 6.8-inch display and Home Connect app control. No prices were given.
Molloy University on Long Island replaced a vending machine with a Primepick kiosk that heats frozen restaurant meals in three microwaves using two robot arms, ready in 5–7 minutes. It averages about $1,000 a month in sales versus roughly $100 for the old machine, and the school paid nothing for the unit or upkeep. Primepick says sites in Huntsville, Chicago and Dallas are being prepared, with more states by early 2027.
Serve launched an AV Delivery Developer Portal on Nov 11 with a public API and a sandbox of simulated robots; sending real robots needs Serve's approval. Until now its 2,000-plus robots, which deliver for more than 4,000 restaurants in 20 US cities, were only reachable through delivery-app partners. Jobs are limited to its service areas, hours and items that fit the cargo bin; no pricing was given.
Online ordering company ChowNow has updated its ordering, marketing and operations tools for independent restaurants. Its marketing suite now sends text messages alongside email, restaurants get branded catering ordering with their own menus and scheduling, and QR-code dine-in ordering is offered; the company says that last one lifted average checks 9%. ChowNow, which says it serves more than 15,000 restaurants, plans AI-powered tools for the fourth quarter of 2026.
McDonald's and Uber have tied the MyMcDonald's Rewards program into Uber, and Uber Eats is now the preferred integrated delivery partner inside the McDonald's app. Starting this month, members in some markets can spend points on Uber rides in a seasonal promotion, and earning points on Uber Eats orders is planned. For operators it shows big chains pulling delivery and loyalty into one system rather than treating them separately.
Murphy USA told investors on its third-quarter call that its automated restaurant program with White Castle, called Murphy Automated Restaurant Solutions (MARS), now runs at more than 100 units. CEO Mindy West called it a test-to-scale effort that is judging customer demand, store fit and unit economics, and said early results are encouraging but too early to call. No sales or profit figures for the units were shared.
LG Electronics and SoundHound AI plan to launch restaurant ordering on US LG Smart TVs in December, reaching about 20 million sets. Viewers can order by talking to a voice AI agent or by browsing on screen and scanning a QR code to pay on their phone. Restaurants pay a standard pickup or delivery commission, with no subscription or new in-store hardware; the first participating brands are due to be named toward year end.
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