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.

A food pan well includes a base defining an internal cavity and a temperature regulating system disposed within the internal cavity. The base is configured to support a food pan such that the food pan is selectively suspendable within the internal cavity. The temperature regulating system includes a cooling assembly configured to facilitate cooling at least a sidewall of the food pan and a warming assembly configured to facilitate warming at least a bottom surface of the food pan.

Packaging for a food product has a box made from cardboard material with a base and a lid. The lid is fitted pivoting around a hinge fixed to the base. An electrically conducting foil is installed so as to separate the food product and the base. The lid is cut by a cutting line extending to define a central area and a peripheral area each arranged pivotally with respect to the base. The central area is inscribed inside the peripheral area. The central area is facing the electrically conducting foil and extends partly in a front side panel of the lid opposite the side panel supporting the hinge.

A tortilla cooking device includes induction stages arranged in a substantially vertical configuration, with some of the induction stages including one or more induction elements. The cooking device also includes tortilla pans. A respective tortilla pan is configured for being removably positioned on at least one of the induction stages and formed from a material suitable for magnetic induction based heating. The tortilla pay converts magnetic energy received from at least one induction element of the induction stage to thermal energy. A respective induction stage includes a recessed portion substantially matching a protruding bottom surface of the tortilla pans. The tortilla pans further include a lip structure for retaining one or more materials on a cooking portion of the tortilla pans. The cooking device further includes a casing unit configured to contain the plurality of induction stages arranged in a substantially vertical configuration.

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.

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 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 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.