Steve Ells, known for founding Chipotle, ventures into a traditional sandwich restaurant named Counter Service after his previous project, Kernel, failed within a year. Kernel aimed to revolutionize fast-casual dining with robotic automation and fresh vegan ingredients but faced significant challenges and backlash against its polarizing vegan model. With Counter Service located in Manhattan, Ells has shifted focus to more conventional sandwiches. This transition not only marks an effort to adapt his business model but also illustrates the difficulties in marrying technology with food service effectively.
Kernel ... discovered the hard way that the robot revolution has hiccups to smooth out.
Veganism, I've learned, is very polarizing.
Counter Service, a new venture by Steve Ells, focuses on traditional sandwiches instead of the robotic vegan model that failed.
This space had been Ells's central kitchen for Kernel, the place that launched vegan in 2024 with a mission.
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