Picnic Works Unites Leaders in Foodservice Technology with Industry-First Automation Partner Program

Picnic Works, a Seattle-based developer of kitchen automation technology, debuts its Picnic Partner Program, bringing together cutting-edge companies throughout the foodservice industry. The new partner network offers leaders in food technology, services, ingredients, and more the opportunity to combine strengths and better serve kitchen operators in their efforts to automate kitchen operations to increase profitability and customer satisfaction.

“We’ve collaborated with Picnic for several years, working together at tradeshows and events to showcase how our pizza ingredients work with the Picnic station,” said Liza Larson, Director of External Innovation, Rich Products. “Most recently, we connected Picnic with our customer Chartwells Higher Education and their contract client, Texas A&M University, where the station has been making high-quality pizza for months. We’re excited to be part of this program that connects and strengthens a network of organizations that are helping operators find the right ingredients, innovation, and service to enhance their profitability and success.”

Kitchen automation is increasing profits, reducing food waste and operating costs, and improving guest satisfaction, as restaurant owners prepare for the future of foodservice. In 2022, 80% of respondents to the National Restaurant Association State of the Industry survey said technology is helping them gain a competitive advantage.

“Picnic works with customers to understand how automation can help improve efficiency and profitability,” said Scott Erickson, CMO of Picnic. “Our new partner program creates a network of resources to assist customers with their move to automation. From technology, equipment, and ingredient testing to co-marketing and referrals, the Picnic Partner Program is a hub for like-minded companies to connect, share, and help customers.”

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The Picnic Partner Program is actively welcoming companies that are working within six categories. These include kitchen design, ingredient supply, point of sale, foodservice equipment, data and analytics, and service and logistics. Current Picnic partners already are transforming foodservice in many ways, from modular and sustainable kitchen design and self-service pickup solutions to POS integration and innovative cooking equipment.

A sample of current Picnic Partner Program companies includes:

Rich Products: Rich’s is a family-owned food company dedicated to inspiring possibilities. From cakes and icings to pizza, appetizers and specialty toppings, their products are used in homes, restaurants, and bakeries around the world. Working in 100 locations globally, with annual sales exceeding $5 billion, Rich’s is a global leader in food.

Ovention:  Ovention is a foodservice equipment company driven by innovation, integrity, and an intense desire to solve problems that others walk away from. A care for customers combined with the reliability of an innovative Precision Impingement technology, Ovention raises the bar in traditional cooking.

ContekPro: ContekPro manufactures factory-built kitchens that offer a modular, turnkey, fast-to-deploy, cost-efficient, and sustainable alternative to traditional brick and mortar kitchens. The kitchens are used by hotels, resorts, quick service restaurants, ghost kitchens, and military customers.

KWALI: Kwali uses artificial intelligence to help pizza franchises like Domino’s and Pizza Hut improve order accuracy, speed of service, and guest satisfaction. The Kwali platform uses computer vision to monitor and improve restaurant operations.

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Minnow: Minnow’s Pickup Pods are modern food lockers that provide a better way to manage order pickups. With a modern design and a small footprint, Pickup Pods are perfect for restaurants, ghost kitchens, cafeterias, and other places where food pickup management is essential.

Mukunda Foods: Mukunda Foods is an international kitchen robotics manufacturer specializing in purpose-built equipment including the EcoFryer, Pro-Rico steamer, Wokie automated wok, Dosamatic dosa maker, and E-Pan grilling machine. Installed around the world, Mukunda Foods enhances traditional cooking methods through innovation.

Bear Robotics: From running orders to bussing tables, from the dirty work to dish delivery, Bear Robotics makes Servi, a foodservice robot that eases workloads in restaurants. From hotels and restaurants to senior living centers and schools, Bear Robotics solutions provide flexibility and efficiency.

Autonomously assembling up to 100 pizzas per hour, the Picnic Pizza Station improves pizza assembly efficiency. A cook loads the dough, and the station applies the sauce, cheese, fresh-cut pepperoni, and additional toppings. Using Picnic technology results in 80% less food waste than traditional makelines and allows for integration with a kitchen’s point-of-sale (POS) equipment and mobile ordering platforms. The Picnic Pizza Station is NSF and ETL/UL certified and is supported with cloud-based software and over-the-air firmware updates.

The customer roster for the Picnic Pizza Station includes managed foodservice providers Compass, Chartwells, and Sodexo Live!, Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, Texas A&M University, The Ohio State University, and numerous regional pizzerias with new customers coming online weekly. Connecting customers to partners through the program will allow these and other foodservice operators an enhanced way to automate and innovate, saving time, money, and labor to future-proof success.

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