Robotic Chinese meals-on-wheels

Nation's Restaurant News, June 30, 1986 by Alan Liddle

Robotic Chinese meals-on-wheels

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- "Off with their arms]"

That was the decree of Jim Morris and Ken Hausman, owners of China Shuttle, a month-old Chinese delivery concept located in this "Silicon Valley" city. They were not demanding the limbs of an errant delivery driver but were specifying the changes they would like made to the next generation of robot cooks.

The two men, who have vowed to become the Domino's of Asian cuisine and are in the process of opening two more units, are field testing inventor Roger Chapin's computer-controlled work. (More on Chapin and his device in a future Nation's Restaurant News-published Restaurant Technology supplement.)

A mechanized wok is an appealing concept to anyone interested in turning out a consistently good stir-fry dish, such as Mu Shu Pork or Cashew Chicken, but not thrilled with the idea of recruiting or training and paying for skilled labor.

Chapin's first two woks included "arms," or stirring devices, to toss ingredients for even cooking. The most complicated utilized spatulas that mimicked the motions of skilled stir-fry cooks and, one would imagine, brought to mind an erector set run amuck. Design No. 2, now in place, teams a spinning metal whisk and a rotating wok to achieve the same end.

Both woks worked, but Morris and Hausman want to simplify things.

Since the computer brain in Chapin's system controls the cooking time and temperature and doles out ingredients and condiments as needed, why not use unskilled labor for the less critical task of stirring, they asked themselves. It also followed that if the arms were removed, bigger ingredient cartridges could be used--allowing batches up to three times larger than now practical and reliability increased through a reduction in the number of moving parts.

Chapin is now working on the two additional woks requested by Morris and Hausman.

China Shuttle's menu features dim sum appetizers, including potstickers, egg rolls and spicy braised won tons; soup and salads; noodles, rice and pancakes (Mu Shu Pork); stir-fried vegetables and Cashew Chicken; and roasted meats, such as Hunan Pork and barbecued spareribs. Prices for single servings range from 75[ to $5.50.

Asked about sales figures for the venture, Morris replied, "I really can't give that information out [a company policy], but we wouldn't be working on two more [units] if things weren't going well."

Ed Long, former owner of Chinese restaurants in Washington D.C., West Virginia and Kansas City, is China Shuttle's director of operations. He oversees the flesh-and-blood kitchen crew preparing most of the meals now served and 12 delivery drivers. Lucy McHale, director of quality control, helped develop the menu.

A programmer by trade, Chapin used much of his spare time for six years and between $25,000 and $40,000 of his own money to develop the woks. Trying to explain why, he said:

"It boils down to an obsessive love of Chinese food. . . . I didn't do it for the money. . . . I was more motivated by the idea of having a positive impact on a spreading it [Chinese cuisine]. That might sound corny, but that's the way I am."

Short takes: Attracting much attention in the media recently was the opening of a franchised Sizzler steak, seafood and salad restaurant in San Francisco's Tenderloin, an area politely referred to as the "in spot" for down and outers.

Reality House West, a nonprofit organization that provides a number of public services ranging from drug abuse counseling to managing a low-income housing project, opened the restaurant in its Cadillac Hotel, at the corner of Eddy and Leavenworth. Most of the employees are Tenderloin residents and Reality House West intends to use profits from the restaurant to help fund its other endeavors.

Sizzler's decision to try this experiment reflects favorably on that company.

Ogden Allied Services: President Richard Ablon said there is no chance the company will revive the Doggie Diner chain, which recently closed its last two units. However, he added, Ogden is willing to talk to persons interested in cashing in on the current popularity of American diners through some sort of Doggie Diner licensing agreement.

Ablon said he, too, was "sad" Doggie Diners were no more and agreed with many that the rise of national chains using nonunion help played a large part in

their demise.

Ogden viewed the chain, which it bought in 1969, as a Bay Area phenomenon, Ablon said, and intended to expand its presence in that market. He said those plans were eventually dropped for several reasons, including difficulties in obtaining necessary permits, prohibitive property costs and the company's decision to divest itself of distractions and concentrate on its bread-and-butter business--contract management.

Across the Bay in Hayward: Recent sighting at a deli-cafe: Three glassy-eyed guys splitting two six-packs at the front table. Nearby, a note on the wall explained that prices would soon be going up because the insurance premium had been tripled.