Robot that serves frozen yogurt debuts in Cayey
From left: José Vega, owner of Econo Cayey, Jerry Arias, director of Robofusion PR, and Allan Jones, CEO of Robofusion Inc.
Puerto Rican firm Robofusion PR on Wednesday unveiled what is possibly the island’s first robot-operated frozen yogurt machine, up and running at the Econo grocery store in Cayey.
The brightly colored robot dispenses Reis & Irvy’s frozen yogurt and comes in three models: “The Cube,” “The Kiosk,” or “The Factory.”
“Robofusion’s business model appeals to the entrepreneur who recognizes that in this new economy, we must seek new growth opportunities. The yogurt market is growing and more consumers opt for this alternative every day,” said Jerry Arias, director of Robofusion PR and Reis & Irvy’s.
Depending on the model, the machines require 12, 24 or 48 square-feet of space, and accept cash or cards, he said. Owners can monitor sales real-time and through the Internet, he said.
“All of the machines installed will receive product distribution, technical support and training for use. Our projections are to have more than 20 Reis & Irvy’s robots [in Puerto Rico] by the end of 2015,” Arias said.
The machine installed in Cayey can deliver up to 45 yogurt servings an hour in 12-ounce containers. Each order takes 60 seconds to dispense, and may consist of up to three flavors and up to two of six toppings available. Each robot model offers nine yogurt flavors.
