Automation has made its way into restaurant kitchens. Planet Money looks at what the effects of automation have been historically — and watches a robot wok in action to see how it may change things.

Robby the chef has lots of endearing qualities. He can make over 5000 dishes, he’s a consistent cook, and he’s never late for work. But he’s not a human. It is a 750 lb. stainless steel robot. With a ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Chef Nguyen Bui loads ingredients into Robby, a robot wok used to cook a variety of foods at high or low temperatures. (Chiara ...

Are you ready for a robot restaurant revolution? In Los Angeles, two robot wok restaurants with nearly identical menus, packaging and promises of fresh, affordable food fast, are vying for our hearts, ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Food is cooked at iWok, a new fast-casual Asian restaurant that uses robots to make the food and boba drinks, in Houston, Thursday ...

KATY, Texas & FULSHEAR, Texas, Jan. 14, 2026 / PRZen / Snap-a-Box, a family-owned Chinese takeout and delivery restaurant, has been serving the Katy–Fulshear communities since September 2025. As the ...

Wok’s opening near the Texas Medical Center is a part of the brand’s recent expansion into Asiatown, Katy and the Bay Area.

One of the best dishes I ate last month was a paper plate of fried rice prepared by a robot named Robby. The grains were slick with soy sauce, each one caramelized and tinged with smoke. Generously ...

Family-owned restaurant offers robot-assisted wok cooking, tip-free service, eco-friendly packaging KATY, Texas & FULSHEAR, Texas, Jan. 14, 2026 / PRZen / Snap-a-Box, a family-owned Chinese takeout ...

Are you ready for a robot restaurant revolution? In Los Angeles, two robot wok restaurants with nearly identical menus, packaging and promises of fresh, affordable food fast, are vying for our hearts, ...