UNLV is the first university to open Hyphen nationwide. Hyphen is a foodservice platform designed to help restaurant owners, operators, and budding chefs move their business forward by automating kitchen operations. Visit the Hyphen website for more information on Hyphen and its team.

The Makeline assembles all digital orders (de-livery, takeout, drive-thru, QR code) under the counter via automated production while still allowing staff to assemble in-house orders from the top of the counter. Step-by-step process below:

1. A digital order comes in from an app, website, or kiosk and automatically triggers the makeline to release a bowl or plate.
2. The bowl or plate traverses down the line as ingredients are accurately portioned and dispensed with vision systems. As the bowl or plate travels down the line, it will rotate to ensure each ingredient in the meal is properly portioned and plated with a radial pattern.
3. After the ingredients are dispensed, the portion cup module fills and releases a portion cup of the customer’s dressing or sauce.
4. Once the meal is fully assembled, the bowl or plate is lidded and then labeled with the customer’s name and meal summary.
5. The fully assembled bowl is lifted to the pick-up station and ready to be bagged or staged.

Founded in 2020 by Stephen Klein and Daniel Fukuba, Hyphen is a San Jose-based foodservice automation platform that supports restaurants with software and robotics to make food faster, fresher, and more accessible. Hyphen’s first product is a robotic makeline that produces 120 meals an hour while eliminating order defects such as missing ingredients and cross-contamination. The Makeline can easily be swapped with a restaurant’s existing makeline without the need for plumbing or drainage. Through its KitchenOS, the platform enables restaurants to develop recipes, fulfill multiple orders from digital channels (i.e., web, app, drive-thru) while augmenting labor with actionable insights.