A vending machine system for loading and dispensing pre-baked unpackaged food including a fixed cartridge disposed in a refrigerator of a vending machine, and a transport cartridge adapted to removably attach to the fixed cartridge, the transport cartridge operable for holding trays of unpackaged food and loading the trays of unpackaged food from the transport cartridge into the fixed cartridge, wherein, when the transport cartridge is removably attached to the fixed cartridge, a front opening of the transport cartridge aligns with a front opening of the fixed cartridge, and wherein the rack of the transport cartridge aligns with the conveyor system of the fixed cartridge such that trays of unpackaged food within the transport cartridge can simultaneously be transitioned from the rack to the conveyor system.

An indoor/outdoor cabinet operable by multiple power sources that includes an internal cavity that may be maintained at a desired temperature by a first power source when the cabinet is being used indoors and may be maintained at a desired temperature by a second power source when the cabinet is being used outdoors without the need for an externally located generator or gas supply.

An indoor/outdoor cabinet operable by multiple power sources that includes an internal cavity that may be maintained at a desired temperature by a first power source when the cabinet is being used indoors and may be maintained at a desired temperature by a second power source when the cabinet is being used outdoors without the need for an externally located generator or gas supply.

A multi-zone food holding bin has a continuous food supporting surface with multiple food holding zones. Each food holding zone is independently controllable so that different food temperatures may be maintained in adjacent food holding zones.

The present invention provides a cabinet (10) for the temporary storage of a heated food item. The cabinet (10) has a in base (12), a top (14) and opposing sides (16,18). The base (12), top (14) and opposing sides (16,18) define an interior space (20) of the cabinet (10) which is accessible through opposing apertures (22, 24) at each end of the cabinet (10). The cabinet (10) is provided with air movement means and air heating means operable to draw air from the interior space (20) of the cabinet (10), heat said air and utilise a portion of said heated air to produce air curtains across the opposing apertures (22, 24) of the cabinet (10). The remainder of said air is circulated within the interior space (20) of the cabinet (10).

A multi-zone food holding bin has a continuous food supporting surface with multiple food holding zones. Each food holding zone is independently controllable so that different food temperatures may be maintained in adjacent food holding zones.

A food locker includes a housing, a food support member, a first door, a second door, and a lock. The housing includes a front wall a front wall, a rear wall, and a chamber. The front wall includes a first opening in communication with the chamber. The rear wall includes a second opening in communication with the chamber. The food support member is disposed within the chamber. The first door is supported by the housing and is movable between a closed position and an open position. The food support member is accessible through the first opening when the first door is in the open position. The second door is supported by the housing and is movable between a closed position and an open position. The food support member is accessible through the second opening when the second door is in the open position. The lock is operatively coupled to at least one of the housing and the first door and is actuatable between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration. The lock is operable to (i) permit the first door to move from the closed position to the open position when the lock is in the unlocked configuration and (ii) prevent the first door from moving from the closed position to the open position when the lock is in the locked configuration.

A computer receives one or more recipes related to a meal. The computer analyzes the one or more recipes using natural language processing to identify a plurality of ingredients of the one or more recipes. The computer analyzes the one or more recipes using natural language processing to identify a plurality of steps to prepare each of the one or more recipes. The computer receives sensor input to identify a kitchen layout including locations of one or more devices for preparing the one or more recipes. The computer determines a plurality of parameters of a meal preparation plan based on the identified plurality of ingredients, the identified plurality of steps, and the identified kitchen layout, wherein the one or more parameters includes an order of meal preparation. The computer outputs the meal preparation plan to a user.

A flexible merchandising food well display configured for use with a cabinet including a countertop. The food well display includes an upwardly open food well housed within the cabinet and the countertop defines an opening into the food well. The flexible merchandising food well display further includes a height-adjustable shelving system within the food well. The shelving system includes a plurality of shelves, each of which may be individually mounted within the food well at a selectable height such that the shelves may support different containers at different heights within the food well.

A system to store food products within a heated compartment is provided. The system includes an enclosure that receives stacked trays, and an elevator to lift trays to a position to receive a plurality of food products from a conveyor or another source. A fork may be provided that receives a cooked food product thereon and rotates to allow the cooked food product to fall into the positioned tray while being maintained in a horizontal manner. A shuttle moves a full tray into a heated compartment, which moves trays therewithin to organize them for future use within a restaurant operation.