A homegrown company that looks to expand across the tri-state area and beyond has unveiled their vision for the future of fast food inside one of Jersey City’s largest shopping complexes.
RoboBurger, a minority-owned business that began out of Newark in 2019, has launched their namesake vending machine inside the Newport Centre Mall. The machine’s formal unveiling follows a trial run at Jersey City’s Lucky 7 Tavern that began in late 2020.
The company, co-founded by Audley Wilson, serves “restaurant-quality freshly grilled burgers from scratch” out of an innovative vending machine that RoboBurger assembles out of their Brick City headquarters. Their first machine can be found at the mall’s northern exit on the second floor.
“I started RoboBurger in my garage 17 years ago, and now there couldn’t be a better time to bring it to life and have everyone experience it,” said Audley Wilson, RoboBurger co-founder and CEO. “RoboBurger gives everyone freshly grilled burgers — while ensuring a safe, contactless experience. RoboBurger always comes out piping hot and is never pre-cooked and kept warm.”
Despite the constraints of a vending machine, RoboBurger utilizes a five-step cooking process to make their meals. The machine first grills the patty, then toasts the bun, dispenses a customer’s selected condiments, assembles the burger, and delivers the food.
RoboBurger’s patties consist of 100% grass and vegetarian-fed Angus Beef and the company sources artisanal buns from local bakers. A burger costs $6.99 from the machine, which includes an interior refrigerator, automated griddle, and cleaning unit.
RoboBurger is the only hot food vending machine in the United States that is certified by the National Sanitary Foundation (NSF) to the highest food safety regulations and the company anticipates rolling out their machines all over the New York City area in the coming months.
The presence of RoboBurger has apparently sparked a hamburger invasion at the Newport Mall. Per our exclusive reporting, both Shake Shack and New York City’s Kings of Kobe will be opening more traditional restaurants inside the facility during the coming months.
