"Are you ready for a robot restaurant revolution? In Los Angeles, two robot wok restaurants with nearly identical menus, packaging and promises of fresh, affordable food fast, are vying for our hearts, minds and stomachs. Shrinking wallets, skyrocketing operating costs and an increasing need for variety and convenience have laid the groundwork for an epic robot restaurant battle. On one side, a homegrown brand from two entrepreneurs in the San Gabriel Valley."
"Tomas Su and Kelvin Wang opened Tigawok on Sawtelle Boulevard in the summer of 2024, calling it the "first-ever robot-powered" Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles. Su co-founded the Sunright Tea Studio chain of boba shops and Wang owns Beijing Tasty House in San Gabriel. They recently opened a Tigawok in both Burbank and Irvine, and there are locations planned for Chino Hills and Lake Forest."
"Robowok is a restaurant that opened inside the Campus Plaza across from the University of Southern California in September, and its origins are somewhat of a mystery. The website lists five stores, though I couldn't find any others in Los Angeles. I called the number on the Robowok website. The person who answered said I had the right number, but they weren't interested in speaking. Before I could ask any questions, they hung up."
Two new Los Angeles restaurants use automated woks to cook familiar Chinese dishes such as kung pao chicken and chow mein, while people program, load and unload the woks. Tigawok, opened by Tomas Su and Kelvin Wang on Sawtelle Boulevard in 2024, bills itself as Los Angeles's first robot-powered Chinese restaurant and has locations in Burbank and Irvine with plans for Chino Hills and Lake Forest. Robowok opened in September inside Campus Plaza across from USC and has unclear origins; its website lists five stores but other local locations could not be verified. Both promise fresh, affordable food served quickly amid rising operating costs and consumer demand for convenience.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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