Texas A&M debuts automated pizza assembly station

The Chartwells Higher Ed dining team at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, has debuted a fully automated pizza assembly station on campus.

The station was launched in partnership with Picnic, a food automation company.

The Picnic Pizza Station can make up to 100 customized pizzas in one hour. After an employee loads the dough, the assembly station adds sauce, cheese and any additional toppings.

Along with reducing potential food waste by 80%, the dining team says the new assembly station has also helped with staffing.

"We've seen a significant increase in efficiency with the Picnic Pizza Station,” Marc Cruz, district executive chef for Chartwells Higher Ed, said in a statement. “What used to take three people now only requires one, which allows us to free people up to do other critical duties in the kitchen."