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Los Angeles Dodgers, Levy, E15 Group, and Miso Robotics launch project with stadium employees this August exploring how people, robotics, and AI work together to enhance staff productivity and fan experience

LOS ANGELES (July 26, 2018) – The Los Angeles Dodgers have teamed up with hospitality partner Levy and its tech and analytics company E15 Group, and Miso Robotics to trial the first robotic kitchen assistant in a North American sports venue. The robotic assistant will work alongside stadium employees to cook and serve fresh chicken tenders starting in mid-August.

The project will bring AI and robotics to the stadium’s kitchen, completing some of the more time-consuming, repetitive tasks, allowing all employees currently working at the stand to take on more strategic guest-focused roles. Employees will manage the kitchen assistant, finish dishes, and interact more with fans and guests.

“Levy and Miso are doing some very creative things to blend technology and food service, and as a forward-thinking company ourselves, we’re grateful for the opportunity to test and implement it at Dodger Stadium,” said Tucker Kain, the Dodgers’ Chief Financial Officer and Managing Director of Guggenheim Baseball Management. “When it comes to our food experience, we’re all for advances that help with quality and speed of service for our fans.”

Levy and Miso announced a strategic partnership this past March to trial and assess AI and robotic assistants in sports and entertainment venues. This project builds on that partnership and Miso’s successful launch of the world’s first autonomous robotic kitchen assistant, “Flippy,” earlier this year.

Following Levy’s participation in Miso’s Series B funding round, the two collaborated – along with E15 and Dodger Stadium employees – to expand the robotic kitchen assistant’s skillset and test its fry-cooking abilities in a concessions setting. Levy chefs also trained one-on-one with the kitchen assistant to help Miso perfect the cooking process.

“Speed of service and food quality form lasting impressions when fans leave a ballgame,” said Jaime Faulkner, CEO of E15. “AI and robotics have the potential to enhance both areas, while allowing employees to add value to the fan experience through more one-on-one interaction. Technology that enables employees to be more successful will influence the future fan experience.”

“Adapting Flippy into a fryer assistant with the Levy team has been a great opportunity to demonstrate the scale of Miso’s platform,” said David Zito, CEO of Miso Robotics. “Levy, E15, and the Dodgers were the perfect partners; we shared the vision that this technology would be a win-win—improving working conditions for stadium employees and improving the game experience for fans.”

The pilot project will run through the end of the 2018 Dodgers season. Levy, E15, and Miso will plan future opportunities during the offseason.

About Miso Robotics

Miso Robotics (misorobotics.com) is revolutionizing the restaurant and prepared food industries with innovative robotics and AI solutions. Miso was founded with a mission to leverage AI technology to help chefs cook food perfectly and consistently and enable restaurants to increase labor productivity, reduce costs and drive profitability while improving the overall dining experience. Miso employs a respected team of roboticists, engineers and industrial designers from Caltech, Cornell, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, UCLA, Olin, Harvey Mudd, Art Center, NASA, Tesla, and SpaceX.

 About Levy

The disruptor in defining the premium sports and entertainment dining experience, Levy is recognized as one of the fastest growing and most critically acclaimed hospitality companies. Named one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports by Fast Company magazine, Levy’s diverse portfolio includes award-winning restaurants, iconic sports and entertainment venues, and convention centers as well as the Super Bowl, Grammy Awards, PGA Championship, US Open Tennis Tournament, Kentucky Derby, and NHL, MLB, NBA All-Star Games. For more, visit www.levyrestaurants.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

About E15 Group

E15 is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Levy, working with some of the most well-known organizations in sports and entertainment, and beyond. E15 brings together professionals from the fields of economics, mathematics, statistics, accounting and finance, psychology and behavioral science, and computer science and emerging technology, applying an analytical mindset to help partners enhance performance across all facets of operations.