Popular restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill is testing what it claims is one of the first pilot projects by a major eatery using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track ingredients from suppliers to restaurants via serialization.
The company is using RFID to enhance its traceability and inventory systems at its Chicago distribution center and about 200 restaurants in the greater Chicago area.
"RFID labels transform inventory management into an automatic, digital function that optimizes restaurant operations and gives our Restaurant Support Centers access to inventory data in real-time," said Scott Boatwright, chief restaurant officer at Chipotle. "This integrated technology is improving our employee experience in participating restaurants while also benefiting our supply partners."
RFID lab
Chipotle is working with the Auburn University RFID Lab to refine the pilot program, which is being tested on meat, dairy and avocados from five Chipotle suppliers. Chipotle purchased more than 35 million pounds of locally grown produce in 2021.
When ingredients in the test arrive at restaurants with RFID-enabled case labels, they are scanned by RFID readers. The tech-enabled traceability system is designed to help the company to act on food safety and quality concerns efficiently and precisely, the company said.
The technology is anticipated to help save time on inventory management and stock rotation, mitigate human error and increase expiration date visibility and accountability.
The RFID program, which has been under development for two years, includes RFID software provider Mojix and RFID reader and encoder provider Zebra Technologies.
