PASADENA, Calif., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Cali Group announced today the deployment of new technology tools into CaliBurger restaurants to fight the spread of viruses like COVID-19 and improve the safety and health standards within restaurants. These technologies and systems will initially be implemented in a CaliBurger store in Pasadena, CA in the coming weeks.  Specifically:  

• Entry Screening.  When the store is open for take out and delivery, devices attached to the doors will measure the body temperatures of restaurant staff, delivery drivers, and guests.  All people seeking to enter the building must have their faces scanned by the devices.  If the device sensor detects a person with a fever, the person will not be allowed to go into the restaurant.  During the hours when the store is not open for take out and delivery, restaurant staff can also opt to use the facial recognition system built into the device at the same moment as the fever scan to unlock the door in a single step, instead of doing the fever scan and then also needing to use a key card as a second step.  While the initial use case will be for CaliBurger, the technology could be applied to other buildings such as retail stores, offices, and homes to enhance health and safety.  Wider adoption of this system could serve to identify hot spots and spikes in the spread of COVID-19 and other transmissible viruses.

• Contactless Ordering and Payment.  The restaurant will not accept cash or credit cards as both forms of payment may enable transfer of pathogens.  Guests who want to pay on site can register for PopPay, a face pay service, at popid.com.  New payment terminals are being installed so that guests can use PopPay without any contact with a touch panel.  Guests can also order and pay using PopPay on the CaliBurger web site.
• Kitchen Automation.  AI-driven robots made by Miso Robotics will be cooking in the kitchen.  This will reduce the amount of human contact with the food being prepared.  CaliBurger has demonstrated that Flippy can be used to reliably automate both the grill station and fry station, resulting in less employee turnover, increased productivity, and greater food consistency.  Autonomous cooking continues to rise as a sought-after capability in restaurants in the wake of COVID-19.

“Cali Group is focusing its resources on new tools for the restaurant and retail industries to survive the current crisis,” said John Miller, Chairman of Cali Group. “Our portfolio of companies offer various solutions for food production, delivery, take out, and drive thru.”   

“Miso’s platform is a path to substantially reduce pathogen contamination in food,” said Buck Jordan, CEO of Miso Robotics. “By automating tasks such as frying and grilling, Flippy can give operators and consumers confidence that their food is being prepared in a more sterile environment.”

The launch of of these technologies was driven by the recommendations of health and government officials in charge of COVID-19 containment for LA county business operations. CaliBurger intends to implement these technologies in all of its restaurants. 

About Cali Group
Cali Group is a holding company that comprises significant ownership positions in various technology companies developing software products to digitize and automate the brick and mortar world. Cali Group uses the brands in its restaurant operating division to prove out the viability of new technologies for the restaurant and retail industries. For more information, visit www.thecaligroup.com 

About PopID
PopID is a cloud-based platform that enables merchants to offer consumers the option of authenticating their identity using facial recognition. After registering for the service once, consumers can choose to use PopID for various purposes, including logging into loyalty accounts, receiving personalized food ordering recommendations, processing payments, and entering facilities. Learn more about PopID’s vision at PopID.com.

About Miso Robotics
Miso Robotics (www.misorobotics.com) is revolutionizing the restaurant and prepared food industries with innovative robotics and artificial intelligence solutions. Miso was founded with a mission to leverage AI technology to help chefs cook food perfectly and consistently and enable restaurants to increase labor productivity, reduce costs and drive profitability while improving the overall dining experience. Miso employs a respected team of scientists, roboticists, engineers and industrial designers from Caltech, Cornell, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Harvey Mudd, UCLA, USC, Art Center and UNC Chapel Hill. Miso Robotics is now taking reservations for their equity crowd-funding raise, to invest in the future of restaurant automation go to https://invest.misorobotics.com/ 

About CaliBurger
CaliBurger (www.caliburger.com) is a 21st century revival of the classic California burger joint.  CaliBurger’s menu features the highest quality beef, buns baked fresh, natural chicken, hand-selected vegetables, zero trans-fat oils, sauces made in house, and hand-mixed shakes. Our made-to-order meals are always prepared in open kitchens, and our restaurants incorporate advanced technologies to create a unique dining experience. 

Press Contact
Diane Zuniga
909-510-0433
dzuniga@golin.com  

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SOURCE Cali Group