A novel food station comprises a plurality of cubbies sized to enclose food portion containers, and an externally accessible collection hatch. An internal transport system uses an end effector to temporarily couple to a portion container carrier of a selected cubby, and to controllably move the food portion container carrier within the food station from the selected cubby to the collection hatch. The food station includes heating and cooling systems that selectively provide or remove heat to or from each of the plurality of cubbies independently of the other cubbies, with a heating or cooling rate, or for a heating or cooling duration, that is independently scheduled and controllable for each of the plurality of cubbies.

Ingredient level consumption guidance methods and control systems in beverage mixture dispensing systems are disclosed. A disclosed method for operating a beverage mixture dispensing system includes setting an ingredient consumption threshold for an ingredient. The ingredient consumption threshold is associated with an account. The method also includes mixing a beverage using an amount of the ingredient, dispensing the beverage, updating an ingredient consumption level associated with the account, by adding the amount to the ingredient consumption level, and displaying, on a display, the ingredient consumption level and the ingredient consumption threshold.

A beverage operations control system of an establishment such as a bar communicates with numerous wireless beverage control devices that monitor and control the pouring of beverages. The system provides monitoring and predictive analysis based on the monitoring, including real-time modifications to the operations of the beverage control devices.

Systems and methods for beverage dispensing are disclosed herein. The beverage dispensing system can receive a connection request to pair a mobile computing device with a beverage dispensing device via a network. The connection request can include an identifier that can be verified to match a current identifier associated with the beverage dispersing device. The beverage dispensing system can generate a session between the mobile computing device and the beverage dispensing device that replicates a user interface of the beverage dispensing device on the mobile computing device. The beverage dispensing system can receive inputs from the mobile computing device during the session to obtain configuration parameters for a beverage and dispense the beverage from a nozzle based on the configuration parameters.

Upon selection of a product selection icon on a user interface of a beverage vendor, a price per amount of the product is displayed to clearly depict product costs while also providing flexibility for having products of different price points. After selection of the product and upon successful payment validation, a dispensing gauge displays an amount of product dispensed and total current cost of a dispensing session at a location of the product selection icon. A selectable dispense icon is provided upon the successful payment to facilitate dispensing the selected product and a product icon is provided proximate to the selectable dispense icon. Within the dispensing session, upon selection of a second product selection icon, the dispensing gauge moves to the second product selection icon and accumulates additional cost for the transaction based on a cost per amount of a second product associated with the second product selection icon.

A system for dispensing a beverage into a cup. Dispensing hardware is configured to dispense the beverage into the cup. A vision system captures an image of the cup within a dispensing area of the system. A model contains data corresponding to the cup being full. A control system compares the image of the cup to the model and controls the dispensing hardware to dispense the beverage into the cup based on the comparison of the image of the cup to the model.

Disclosed are exemplary embodiments for monitoring for and/or detecting freeze-up and/or paddle wear conditions within dispensers and mixers associated with soft frozen desserts (broadly, edibles or edible products) and crushed ice drinks (broadly, drinkables or potable products).

An integrated front-of-house and back-of-house restaurant operations system integrates automated and manual restaurant operations into an order-based system. The system interfaces with disparate devices and systems to provide order-based monitoring and control of operations within an establishment.

A mobile robot configured for vending consumable items. A system configured for vending consumable items comprising a mobile robot, a vending terminal, and a server communicating with each of the other two. A method for vending consumable items using a mobile robot. A method for on-demand consumable item delivery by a mobile robot.

An integrated front-of-house and back-of-house restaurant operations system integrates automated and manual restaurant operations into an order-based system. The system interfaces with disparate devices and systems to provide order-based monitoring and control of operations within an establishment.