Robot chef ready to serve meals in minutes at Abu Dhabi mall

Robot capabilities and trial in Abu Dhabi

A new kitchen robot in Abu Dhabi can cook four hot dishes at once, with each meal ready in about four minutes. Circus Group’s CA-1 is being tested at First Clique in Paragon Mall alongside the catering company Royal Prestige. The German company says the Abu Dhabi installation is its first in the UAE and that it hopes to expand to hospitals, universities, shopping malls, petrol stations and airports where fresh food can be harder to find. Michael Bassler, a Circus Group shareholder, told The National that “the goal is to help people have great food in places where they normally don’t have food.”

Technical details and menu

The CA-1 features 36 silos for solid and liquid ingredients, four induction plates and two robotic arms – one arm cooks while the other serves. Its current menu offers ten dishes, including chicken fajita, chicken biryani, lentil soup, chicken curry and pasta. Depending on the menu selection, the machine can produce up to 50 hot meals or 100 cold meals per hour. A single load of ingredients can yield up to 200 dishes under the current menu configuration, with ingredients stored in temperature‑controlled silos and normally refreshed within 48 hours.

Company vision and customer reaction

Michael Bassler said, “If you already have a restaurant, it’s a very good question: why do you need the CA‑1?” He added that the best locations for the robot are places where there is no food or where the food quality is poor. The company uses the tagline “Made with love”. Circus Group is also looking at 24‑hour sites such as petrol stations, central stations and airports, with Bassler suggesting that Abu Dhabi Airport’s VIP terminal would be a suitable location.

Showroom experience and pricing

The Paragon Mall site operates as a showroom where customers can try the meals, and Bassler noted that people have been eating there for about two months. Sana Pathan, a 24‑year‑old from India, sampled the quinoa salad and chicken biryani. She remarked, “For something made by AI, I think this biryani is really fresh and it feels like it’s made with love,” and added, “It does really taste human‑made.” She expressed a desire to see the technology in restaurants and public places such as beaches, sports centres and university campuses. Meals start at Dh40, with a chicken curry priced at about Dh48, and Bassler said the machine itself costs roughly Dh1 million. He stressed that “the big goal is to find the best locations where the clients can make the money back.”

Operations in Germany and future development

Circus Group currently has about ten machines operating in Germany, including installations at Mercedes‑Benze and Meta sites and at a supermarket chain. The company was founded five years ago, spent about four years developing the CA‑1 before entering the German market around a year and a half ago, and also produces a smaller model, the CA‑A, for smoothies and protein shakes. Bassler described the CA‑A as “like a small vending machine, just for fresh smoothies” and said a larger version is being developed for military use.

Software updates and ordering options

Circus Group is updating the CA‑1’s software and visual recognition system to improve cooking performance and to detect when food may be burning. In Germany, customers can place orders via a touchscreen or by speaking to the machine to receive meal recommendations based on dietary needs; these options have not yet been tested in Abu Dhabi.

Human role and job impact

The robot does not remove the need for people to load ingredients, handle orders and serve meals. Dylan Frayne, Circus Group’s culinary research and development chef, develops and tests recipes before they are programmed into the machine. When asked whether the robot could replace his job, Frayne replied, “It hasn’t replaced my job. It’s given me a another job.”

Company stance on restaurants

Michael Bassler said the CA‑1 is intended to give people another way to obtain a quick, freshly cooked meal rather than to replace restaurants. He stated, “You will always have restaurants. You will always have chefs in restaurants,” and added, “We don’t replace anyone in this scenario. We offer an additional option for people to have fresh food that didn’t exist before.”

What changes for you

What

Residents can now try meals prepared by the CA-1 robot at the Paragon Mall showroom.

From when

about two months ago

Who

visitors to Paragon Mall in Abu Dhabi

Where

Paragon Mall, Abu Dhabi