Two years after it announced its investment into Hyphen’s automated makeline, Chipotle has finally deployed a system at a live store in Newport Beach, CA just minutes from its corporate HQ. The system is designed to automate production of bowls and salads using a dual-purpose makeline that is manually operational from the top and fully automated via a conveyor system below. Whereas custom automation from companies like Sweetgreen require retrofits that require dining room closures of nearly two months, Hyphen’s automation is designed as a drop-in replacement for existing salad/bowl makelines with minimal disruption, if any, to existing store operations. This week, HNGRY drove down to the location to get a firsthand look at how the automation is going. Full disclosure: I am fortunate to count myself as a small investor in Hyphen.