08.14.2023

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69º | Rainy | 87% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:42 p.m.

👀 Meet the company that’s using automation to shake up Austin’s organic food scene

Presented by an ATXtoday Partner

Three men stand in front of a food truck giving "thumbs up" with their arms around each other.

Pictured left to right: Bowlton co-founder Pavel Shvets, The Food Company Founder and CEO Nick Nanakos, and Bowlton Co-Founder Yarik Graf. | Photo by ZIKI

What do tech startups, organic food, and robots have in common? They’re all part of The Food Company©’s vision for revolutionizing the food industry, starting right here in Austin.

As the parent company of ZIKI, a sustainably-driven, fast-casual modular kitchen concept with 10 city-wide locations, The Food Company always knew that growth was the name of the game.

“We want to re-architect the food system and bring better, more pure foods to people by partnering with local farms and creating new, tech-driven concepts,” explains ZIKI’s Head of Marketing, Dia Magoulis.

That growth stage is now a reality, thanks to a $5 million seed round from Gigafund (the same investors that invested $1 billion into SpaceX).

Vision and value

The Food Company is built on the belief that pure and healthy food should not only be within reach for everyone, but also has the power to heal our world from the inside out.

By saying “no” to seed and vegetable oils, soy, and anything with artificial ingredients, The Food Company can say “yes” to grass-fed butter, eggs from pasture-raised chickens, produce from regenerative farms, and all the good stuff.

GIF of a salad-making robot in action — The Bowlton machines in action.
|
GIF provided by ZIKI

The Food Company acquires Bowlton

With the help of new funding, The Food Company has acquired Bowlton, a robotic kitchen technology that uses automation software to produce 300+ rice bowls or salads per hour without human labor required. Read: Bowlton addresses the challenges faced by traditional food service establishments by automating labor.

Basically, their combined force has the potential to shake up the entire industry.

The Food Company’s Founder and CEO, Nick Nanakos, shares his outlook on automation. “The goal is not to replace humans, but provide them with incredibly sophisticated tools that enhance the overall cooking and customer experience,” he explains. “The Food Company is an intelligent theater where humans and robots share the stage.”

What’s next?

Armed with the tech-driven technology necessary to scale for impact, The Food Company has its eye set on what’s next. They’re working on something big behind the scenes, and say that they’ll share more news soon.

It’s all part of the journey to build the future of food, one flavorful bite at a time.

See how Bowlton's technology works

Events

Monday, Aug. 14

Fall Garden Planning | Monday, Aug. 14 | 6-9 p.m. | Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin | Free | Learn about how to prepare your soil for fall planting — don’t forget to bring seeds and plants for a swap.
ATX Short Film Showcase | Monday, Aug. 14 | 8 p.m. | The Ballroom at Spider House, 2906 Fruth St., Austin | $12-$75 | Tune into locally produced short films and stay afterward for a Q&A with filmmakers.

Tuesday, Aug. 15

Tropicana Tuesdays | Tuesday, Aug. 15 | 6-9 p.m. | Hotel San José, 1316 S. Congress Ave., Austin | Cost of purchase | Sip tropical drinks to tunes from Tropicana Joe.
Grains and Brains Trivia | Tuesday, Aug. 15 | 8-9:30 p.m. | Central Machine Works, 4824 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin | Cost of purchase | Tuesdays are for trivia, so head to Central Machine Works to test your knowledge.

Wednesday, Aug. 16

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” | Wednesday, Aug. 16 | 7:30 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $11 | Bueller... Bueller... calling all “Ferris” fans to the Paramount for this screening with the Texas Archive of the Moving Image.

Plan Ahead

Pierogi & Dumpling Workshop | Friday, Aug. 25 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Barton Springs Mill, 16604 Fitzhugh Rd., Dripping Springs | $120 | Learn from Ukranian-born Katya Lyukum about how to make traditional Polish pierogis.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Civic

The City of Austin will move into Stage 2 water restrictions on Tuesday, Aug. 15. Residents are prohibited from watering their lawns more than once weekly, and automatic irrigation will be reduced to three hours, among other changes. (Austin American-Statesman)

Legacy

Chuy’s co-founder Mike Young has died, the company confirmed this weekend. Since Young opened the restaurant in 1982, Chuy’s has become a nationwide name, and has locations in more than a dozen states. (KXAN)

Announced

Babylon Health — a health tech company headquartered in Austin and the United Kingdom — is shutting down its US operations, resulting in 94 local layoffs. The company said it will transition its members to other providers, but did not say where. (Austin American-Statesman)

Development

Developers announced plans for 100+ new townhomes in Manor. The project will be Beacon Residential’s second subdivision in the east Austin neighborhood and its fifth community in the Capital City. (Austin American-Statesman)

Environment

In the wake of recent wildfires, officials urge residents to be prepared for fire evacuations by staying informed of alerts, preparing a “go” kit with essentials, and managing vegetation around your home. Learn more and be prepared. (Austin Monitor)

Biz

Texas’ cannabis business generated more than $8+ billion in revenue last year. Manufacturing, retail, and wholesale cannabis and hemp businesses employed 50,000+ Texans, resulting in $1.6 billion in worker wages. (Austin Business Journal)

Ranked

The Capital City was recently ranked the No. 3 buggiest city in the country based on the frequency of pest inspection and extermination requests from consumers. We’re in good company, with Dallas and Houston ranking No. 2 and No. 4, respectively. (CultureMap Austin)

Shop

Last chance: MANSCAPED’s annual Summer Sale ends in just two days. Now’s your chance to take advantage of 20% off + free shipping site-wide to save big on their best-selling electric trimmers, premium grooming kits, and UltraPremium formulations. Activate your discount.*

Try This

A screenshot of Google maps, with landmarks and businesses blocked out.

How well do you really know Austin? | Screenshot via Google Maps

Do you know your Capital City neighborhoods, Austinites? Prove it.

We’ve got a new game ready for you. The instructions are simple: based on the limited information in the above map, tell us which Austin neighborhood is pictured.

We know our readers are pretty map-savvy, so we made it a bit more challenging by whiting out the names of the area landmarks and businesses. If you’re feeling extra brainy this morning, get those brownie points by naming as many of those spots as you can.

If you’ve figured it out, let us know and make sure to give us feedback on the difficulty level.

Show off your skills

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
London

From the editor

Here’s a fun fact to start your week: Folic acid was discovered by UT Austin researchers.

Esmond Snell stumbled upon the B vitamin in 1941 in addition to several other vitamins, including pantothenic acid and two forms of vitamin B6. Considering folic acid’s usefulness in cell production — particularly for pregnant women — we can give Esmond a hearty thank you.

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