Appetronix Buys Cibotica to Automate Restaurant Kitchens

Cibotica, now part of Appetronix, offers Remy, an automated salad and bowl assembly line capable of handling a wide variety of ingredients. | Source: Appetronix

Appetronix has announced the acquisition of Cibotica, a developer of ingredient dispensing and portioning technology. This move expands Appetronix's capabilities beyond its core focus on building standalone, autonomous restaurants.

The deal will integrate Cibotica's flagship product—an automated bowl and salad assembly system—into Appetronix's restaurant operations. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

"Cibotica has created remarkable, modular equipment," Nipun Sharma, CEO of Appetronix, told The Robot Report. "It integrates into existing restaurants and automates a significant portion of current kitchen tasks. They've already done the hard work. We have an infrastructure that can leverage their technology, as our machines can utilize their developments. Now, we can offer this service to a broader market."

Appetronix currently runs robotic pizza kitchens in partnership with Donatos, including a fully autonomous location at John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio and another set to open this spring. By incorporating Cibotica's dispensing technology, the company says it is now better equipped to launch robotic concepts for multiple cuisines and formats that require precise ingredient handling.

Robotics may ease pressure on the restaurant industry

Appetronix aims to operate compact, automated restaurants serving various cuisines in diverse locations, including theme parks. | Source: Appetronix

"If you've been involved in the restaurant industry over the past decade, you've seen that labor is the biggest challenge," Sharma said. "A single oven can only do so much. If there's no one to press the buttons, you have a problem."

Furthermore, rising labor costs, combined with increased expenses from tariffs and inflation, have placed additional strain on restaurants in recent years.

"The restaurant industry is highly vulnerable, and we know robotics and automation will play a major role. Ultimately, people want their food prepared safely, quickly, and to taste excellent," Sharma added.

To address these challenges, Toronto-based Appetronix has concentrated on developing compact, standalone, fully autonomous kitchens. Sharma believes this approach is more effective than retrofitting existing kitchens.

"Many companies are automating existing kitchens, which is positive. But they weren't truly accelerating processes, cutting costs, or reducing labor," Sharma explained. "They were adding convenience, which is good, but it doesn't fundamentally improve the economics."

Using AI and robotics, Appetronix's restaurants forecast ingredient usage and replenishment needs based on historical traffic patterns and expected demand. "We estimate that when we provide this machine to an operator, they need to dedicate about three to four hours of one employee's time per day to manage it," Sharma noted.

Cibotica provides modular automation for existing kitchens

Appetronix and Cibotica are both Canadian robotics companies serving the food sector, so their paths have naturally crossed for years. "I've always been impressed by what they've achieved with limited resources, much like us. They've built a very powerful product," Sharma remarked.

Although Appetronix initially avoided automating existing kitchens, its perspective shifted through customer interactions.

"We deliberately chose not to automate existing kitchens because it's a smaller market and integrating new equipment is a complex process," Sharma said. "Our current and potential customers consistently asked, 'Can you automate our existing kitchens?' Our answer was always, 'No, we'll just build a new one.' But we were turning down an opportunity."

Sharma stated that Cibotica's intelligent, modular technology presented the ideal solution for automating established kitchens.

"With the knowledge base, products, and patents Cibotica has developed—it's astonishing what they've accomplished—we can now integrate it into our platform. We can approach existing customers and say, 'While we're building your new restaurant, we can likely automate your current setup as well,'" Sharma explained.

What's next for Appetronix?

Going forward, Sharma said Appetronix will offer a dual strategy: automating existing kitchens while also establishing new, fully autonomous ones. "This satisfies customers in the short term and ensures their long-term survival and growth," Sharma noted.

The company is also open to future acquisitions. According to Sharma, Appetronix is heavily invested in refining portion and temperature control. It is also exploring laser technology for cutting food—a method not feasible in staffed kitchens but viable in a fully autonomous environment.

"I firmly believe in not reinventing the wheel," Sharma said. "We're in discussions not only with hardware companies but also with software firms whose expertise in maintenance and AI data infrastructure aligns with our needs. We will pursue acquisitions whenever they can accelerate our development."

"Our core philosophy is that we don't sell robots; we sell food. And we sell the best-tasting food available," Sharma continued. Appetronix plans to expand into new culinary styles and locations, including theme parks, airports, gas stations, supermarkets, and offices.