00:01.57

vigorbranding

Hello there to Fork Tales. Today’s guest is Audley Wilson. Now, typically, I have chefs on. Typically, I have restaurateurs. But today, we have a robotics expert. ah He is a burger expert and founder and CEO of Robo Burger, the world’s first burger chef in a vending machine. That’s right. He makes burgers within a vending machine. He also recently appeared on Shark Tank to pitch his idea to the investors. Audley, thank you so much for joining us today.

00:31.42

Audley Wilson

Well, thank you so much, Michael, for having me on. I’m excited to be speaking with you.

00:36.82

vigorbranding

Awesome. wow You and I got to meet, I think it was a little over a year ago and I i saw you then again in LA and I got to actually not only see you, but I also saw the Robo Burger. So that’s super cool and I i got to test it. I got to have the burger and it was ah it was impressive. So let’s start with some background about rogo Robo Burger. I’m sorry, it’s like a tongue twister. ah Tell us about Robo Burger and how it all got started.

00:58.35

Audley Wilson

hey five times but So, oh man. Well, so it’s a long story. I’ve been working on a robo burger for in this current incarnation for about five years, but I’ve been working on food robotics over the course of my, for my entire life and burger machines for about 20. So, uh, you know, my first burger machine, my first food machine, uh, got me into Carnegie Mellon. Uh, and like, you know, then it was really focused on. residential kitchens, right? So like, how can you make an entire kitchen, fully automated?

01:31.33

Audley Wilson

And yeah so, you know, talk about really ahead of your time. um So like, that was, that was my first machine, and it was really, could do a variety of different meals.

01:34.72

vigorbranding

Right.

01:40.23

Audley Wilson

But really all it can make well is rice and chicken. when Yeah, it’s ah but first i college kid that’s great.

01:44.40

vigorbranding

So, but was that something that you did before? yeah Was that something you did before school? Like before you got into the into Carnegie Mellon or was it a contest or talk about that?

01:51.97

Audley Wilson

Yeah. Yes, I was working on this since ah when I was in high school.

01:56.90

vigorbranding

That’s crazy.

01:57.18

Audley Wilson

So when I was in high school, I was there, so you know, constantly working on this crazy machine because I was like, you know, I got to feed myself in college. So why not just have a crazy machine that could do it? um And but really, one of the challenges was it was trying to do so many things in one machine. So it was a super, super, super complicated. um But yeah, so that was that was what I was working on in high school. um I’ve been making food, ever since I learned, I self taught electrical computer engineer. So when I was like eight years old, my dad started teaching me how to do electronics. And then I was like, this is this is awesome. Took his college textbooks and started going through those. And I was like, you know so I taught myself electronics. And then I was like, well, if I could make motors move and lights turn on, why not make a food machine? I was watching the Jetsons a lot back then.

02:44.85

vigorbranding

Uh huh.

02:44.83

Audley Wilson

um you know, because it was on constant replay back in the 80s. So was it was like, okay, you know, like, I can make, I can make, you know, Rosie goes up to a machine and she enters what she wants. And then she, you know, outcomes as like, you know, ham on a bone or whatever. ah yeah and I wanted to make that machine.

03:03.40

vigorbranding

That is, that’s crazy. That’s it’s wild. And you know I gotta to say, you’re probably the only human being on earth that can say, I’ve been working on a burger machine for 20 years.

03:13.02

Audley Wilson

Yes, taking a little longer than I expected.

03:13.63

vigorbranding

ah but But you’re dedicated your life to the burger machine. I think that’s awesome. I mean, you know.

03:19.72

Audley Wilson

Oh, yes, definitely. um you know In college, yeah when I got into CMU, one of the reasons I got in was actually because of that that’s residential food machine.

03:29.71

vigorbranding

Sure.

03:29.84

Audley Wilson

um and In college, own they CMU was awesome and know they they were able to fund some of my development. I was working on the machine throughout the time period. My junior year, i was I was an entrepreneurship major there, so my junior year I had to start a business. So, that’s when I started my first business, which was actually a restaurant. um So, because I was like, okay, my robot isn’t there yet. um If I actually want to dedicate my entire life to food robotics, I should probably learn how to to cook and how a restaurant works. um So, I started a restaurant, you know, because there’s no simpler way to do that. um

04:03.50

Audley Wilson

yeah But yeah that’s really yeah everyone’s like, that’s a horrible idea. Don’t do this. This this industry is hard. And you know I definitely learned that that’s the case.

04:13.68

vigorbranding

yeah

04:13.75

Audley Wilson

um and But to what it was excellent about that time period is they it ah enabled me to really understand what the problem was that I wanted to solve. um you know the labor What I was facing was massive labor problems, um you know tons of really really long hours that I needed to cover, a lack of consistency between my chefs on the weekend or the the late night shifts, um you know and also the size of the kitchen. right My kitchen took up a large space, like you know how can I make this all smaller?

04:39.33

vigorbranding

Right.

04:43.44

Audley Wilson

And then like you data. There was like no data in my kitchen. I got data really by putting it in at the end of the day, so I didn’t really have that much data back in 2004. So you know that’s that’s what i wanted to solve like how could i just make this that and it like hit me like one night when i was uh when i was closed down my restaurants like wow what if i just like made this a lot simpler to go back to an automated food restaurant that that ma machine i was working on upset focus on commercial. One thing, just the burger, because it’s yeah like’s it’s pretty standardized for the most part.

05:16.00

vigorbranding

Hmm.

05:19.52

Audley Wilson

right you know Top bun, bottom bun, patty, and anything else that goes on in the in the middle there.

05:22.28

vigorbranding

Okay.

05:26.00

Audley Wilson

so like you know It’s consistent. um so yeah I could do one thing over and over and over and over again. and At that time period, I really wanted to like automate the whole back end of a Burger King. but

05:36.58

vigorbranding

Yeah, that’s it’s fascinating. So when you did your restaurant i mean and obviously you summed up everybody’s issues in the restaurant business. I mean, quality of food, consistency, the the labor shortage and just the cost of labor. I mean, you know, ah you’re you’re talking to everybody here and that makes ah that makes a ton ton of sense. um but But just real quick on your on your restaurant, like when you started a restaurant, it was at one location, was it a QSR, was it a focused, it it was it one of those where you focused on just one sort of type of food or one one sort of like like li burgers or a hot dogs or anything like that. Talk talk about that a little bit.

06:11.34

Audley Wilson

Yeah, so I was writing a trend back in 2004. I’m not sure if you remember hookah lounges. They had just came through New York City.

06:17.58

vigorbranding

Sure.

06:19.21

Audley Wilson

So one of my friends dragged me to a hookah bar in LES, you know, checked out the scene. I was like, this is actually pretty cool. This is an experience I haven’t had before. And, you know, it didn’t exist in Pennsylvania at the time. So, you know, I was the first hookah bar in Pittsburgh. um yeah so I opened opened the the concept there at first it was a hookah bar mediterranean tea and drinks and then i then i built out the kitchen myself and with my friends and my fraternity brothers built out the kitchen so went through the whole ah you know process of getting all the like the licenses and everything there so that’s what i learned about the permitting processes which.

06:59.52

vigorbranding

Uh-huh.

06:59.86

Audley Wilson

a big part of our life now. And yeah and then then after that, we turned it into a whole music scene. We had like lines around the block. It was it was pretty cool. um and It was Mediterranean food was the ultimate focus. um Because it was so hard to build out the kitchen, we ended up going all electric um you know using these huge pizza ovens to heat up legs of lamb because we couldn’t do a stack. And that’s really one of those things I think my machine really solves for. you know it’s a vetless solution So you can put it anywhere, just plug it in literally, cleans the air, filters it.

07:27.98

vigorbranding

Yeah.

07:35.57

Audley Wilson

Because they told me it was like 100,000 to put in my vent, ah just just the vent solution.

07:37.84

vigorbranding

Oh, sure.

07:40.66

Audley Wilson

I was like, really, this is crazy. um So I unfortunately limited the options that I had in my my establishment.

07:48.17

vigorbranding

Yeah, and you are obviously a serial entrepreneur. I feel like you you can see something and you can, you know, and it’s not a problem. It’s an opportunity, right? And everyone says that, but I think it’s obvious you’ve executed on that all across the board from evolving your hookah thing to the to the robotics. to If I can do electronics, why can’t I make burgers with it? too I’ve got to eat. So therefore, I should make something that can feed me. It’s pretty crazy. That’s that’s awesome. And you know it just goes to show, I guess, that that that drive and positivity and and the and the willing to have your eyes wide open and and execute.

08:20.60

vigorbranding

That’s the key, execute.

08:21.19

Audley Wilson

All

08:21.52

vigorbranding

And I think it’s awesome. So I get to talk to a lot of entrepreneurs, but I’m really i’m really impressed by all that you’ve done.

08:26.79

Audley Wilson

right.

08:27.36

vigorbranding

It’s really, really super cool. So, okay, we’ll get to Robo Burger here.

08:29.93

Audley Wilson

go

08:31.40

vigorbranding

Now, why why not pizzas? why and but eat Why not hot dogs? Why not chicken wings? Why why burgers?

08:37.09

Audley Wilson

Yeah, again, it’s the standardization. um One of the hardest parts of food machines and in general, when I’ve been building them, has been dispensing the ingredients, right? So, you know, if you have like too wide a variety of ingredients, then it could be like challenging. um But really, I love burgers. ah Back in the day, I was eating probably about five burgers a week. um yeah know So it’s pretty ah pretty high pretty high percentage of burgers.

09:07.61

Audley Wilson

um and you know And I think they’re really the design of it. I love the sandwich. yeah It’s like ah the perfect meal on the go.

09:14.05

vigorbranding

Yep.

09:16.30

Audley Wilson

You know you could grab it. You could take it in your car. I think it’s just a very convenient form of of heating yeah what I think it’s a little more sloppy.

09:25.77

vigorbranding

Well, look, yeah and no one’s ever going to, yeah no, no, one I don’t think anyone ever go really bankrupt trying to feed America burgers.

09:28.80

Audley Wilson

yeah

09:33.69

vigorbranding

Cause I mean, that’s definitely, uh, it’s definitely on the forefront of, uh, I think America’s palette for, uh, uh, for a lot of reasons, but.

09:34.35

Audley Wilson

Yeah.

09:40.37

vigorbranding

So, but like, okay, vending machines, they’ve been around for a while as far as food, hot food, but obviously pre-made and, you you know, soggy thing, not necessarily good for sure.

09:49.14

Audley Wilson

yeah

09:50.50

vigorbranding

ah You know, what what were some of the challenges with putting the process into a 12 square foot box? And talk about the process of your burger because it is not just you know, ah just reheated. It’s not just a microwaved pre-made sandwich. I think maybe that might be even a drawback. Maybe people might think, well, geez, this is probably what this is, but it’s not. It’s it’s it’s made fresh.

10:10.34

Audley Wilson

Yeah.

10:11.16

vigorbranding

So can you talk a little bit about that and then some of the um some of the challenges?

10:15.55

Audley Wilson

Yeah, throughout this journey, I’ve been blessed to have two really good co-founders, Andy Siegel and Dan Bredo. Dan was my CTO. hes Me and him went to Carnegie Mellon together. So he’s really been faced with having to conquer these insane hurdles of really taking an entire commercial kitchen and putting it into 12 square feet um and getting and NSF and UL certified as such.

10:30.03

vigorbranding

Thanks.

10:40.26

Audley Wilson

um So you know one of the biggest challenges, again, was ah you know the, you know, all the health requirements, right? You know, getting that and NSF certification was a gargantuan challenge, and then getting our UL certification on top of that was even more. You know, you always hope that there is some governing body that is ultimately saying, is this good is this safe and am I going to die by eating this? what these these um These groups are there for, um you know, their standards really have pushed us to the next level in making a much better, safer um thing, but ultimately the the ah challenges are or great. um So some of them, you know was you know, most vending machines start with food in a pre-packaged container and they stay there the entire time.

11:30.83

vigorbranding

Mmhmm.

11:31.17

Audley Wilson

hours actually starts in a package. We open the package, dispense the part, the components from there, close those packages, then cook and assemble everything and then put it into a second, into a final packaging. So, you know, due to that, the food touches, you know, food touching zones for all the chefs out there, you know, obviously everything needs to be cleaned. You know, so how do you actually cook? So we, like I guess you could go through the cooking process for ah listeners who don’t know how this machine works. So Roamer Burger, when you after you’ve done ordering what you like on the screen and paying, it’s going to then take a frozen patty out of the freezer, put it onto a griddle, and cook it on both sides.

12:14.66

Audley Wilson

While that’s cooking, it’s going to dispense buns from the toaster into the toasters from our sealed dispensers, and and then start toasting those. Once the buns are toasted, it’s then going to grab a box, put the buns into the box, add the chosen condiments, get the patty, and then get grab go over and get cheese a layer of cheese on top, and then go out to the user and where the user will see it come out, and then the clamshell box will close. So that’s ultimately the process. That’s our our patented procedure for making a burger.

12:46.19

Audley Wilson

um We have five patents there. So those are like we have five different inventions. um First one is the oven system, the way we actually cook it on a griddle.

12:50.62

vigorbranding

Mm hmm.

12:55.89

Audley Wilson

yeah So that like yeah we’re actually cooking that. Making it really you know, you really get to the char we really you know, it’s the same way you would want a patty cooked the toasters or another patent that we had because ultimately we had to toast the but toast the bun and also perfectly dispense it our first burger machine back in 2019 that we put that we we were we put live in Andy’s Bar in Jersey City it would flip the buns half the time like ah

13:26.69

Audley Wilson

ah Every time, just with the buns half the time. It was, it was, it was the worst. We called it a lucky burger because they just kept it. But it was like, we were always lucky. It was horribly unlucky with the the buns.

13:36.98

vigorbranding

Mm

13:38.74

Audley Wilson

It’s, you know, but that’s the thing, you know, these simple, these products are very soft and delicate, you know, the bun.

13:43.78

vigorbranding

hmm.

13:44.11

Audley Wilson

um And you actually have to get it there right side up every single time. um And, you know, every, everyone’s, everyone is used to having a burger but prepared one way. So, you know, if it’s ever done wrong. um The next, next patent we had was our dispenser, which is actually what holds all these, uh, these a bench, all these, uh, the buns and the top on the bottom button and the paddy sit in different dispensers. So that was a real challenge because, you know, the buns are soft. Um, sometimes, sometimes things can stick. How do you actually you know dispense it every single time? Um, so that was a huge challenge for us.

14:20.49

vigorbranding

Mmhmm.

14:20.83

Audley Wilson

every Every step was just huge hurdles, but my team must have a really good team, people really solving these problems. it The list just keeps going, but you now now everything is really down to the hardware mechanisms have been perfected, and now we’re getting to do some really, really cool things on the software side, which is really exciting.

14:42.88

vigorbranding

Yeah, very cool. And it is amazing because, excuse me, the the the the burger is grilled and it’s not just nothing. And that’s the thing, I guess I wonder that that you have to not not overcome, but I think people would just assume because why wouldn’t you that, oh, it’s pre-made, pre-packaged, it’s in a microwave and that’s not it at all. And in fact, I’ll say, I’ll give some plugs here. You know, um Quench, our agency does CPG, food and beverage. ah We started in Pennsylvania and your buns are Martin’s potato rolls, which are very famous here in Pennsylvania, and they are making their rounds around the country, and it’s a really quality product. And and I think Heinz Ketchup is what you’re using too, another Pennsylvania brand.

15:19.59

Audley Wilson

Yeah, so yeah, yeah we love Heinz. The machine that you know has these Heinz bagged products in it. So pretty much all of our condiments start in the Heinz bags and then they get stayed sealed throughout the entire system and that’s like one of those big tests that they also make sure.

15:37.29

vigorbranding

Yeah.

15:37.29

Audley Wilson

How do you actually clean these lines? Have you guys ever had a beer line in your in your restaurant? right Lines are the worst.

15:41.48

vigorbranding

Yep. Yep.

15:42.87

Audley Wilson

You got to clean them.

15:44.02

vigorbranding

That’s right.

15:44.03

Audley Wilson

So like you know the machine also has like automatic processes to clean our condiment lines and systems like that because Every line is a problem um if you don’t have an actual cleaning solution.

15:54.10

vigorbranding

Yep.

15:54.22

Audley Wilson

So a machine will automatically do soap, sanitizer, hot water. It has built-in hot water heater. Pretty much, we have as many many things that you could possibly fit into 12 square feet. um and you you know Everything that you would expect to be in your in a restaurant is inside of this.

16:12.20

vigorbranding

Yeah, and candidly, there’s there’s there’s there’s ah I mean, you guys are cleaning after every burger. So we hear about health inspectors. We hear about, oh, don’t go back in their kitchen, you know about restaurants. Oh, boy, you don’t want to see what it looks like back there. But you guys are actually cleaning after every every burger. and and and and you know and and So the the sanitation part of this thing, the the health part of this thing is like first, foremost, and and extremely well thought out.

16:27.01

Audley Wilson

Yeah.

16:37.05

vigorbranding

Is that correct?

16:38.22

Audley Wilson

Yeah. 100%. You know, that’s been, uh, from the very beginning, it was like, you have to get the and NSF certification. Otherwise we can’t do this. We have to be able to really scale this across the country. Um, you know, in the and NSF, you know, that blue sticker that says and NSF, that was our goal from the beginning.

16:51.00

vigorbranding

Mm hmm. Mm hmm.

16:53.73

Audley Wilson

um So, you know, like we clean off clean the the griddle after every burger, we do heat sanitization after every four hours, we do every day, it does a the daily soap, sanitizer, hot water treatment, you know, the three bin sink that you, you know, obviously required by the health department, um we do that process. And we’ve actually gotten our cleaning cleaning procedure certified by a third party. um like, you know, after you months and months and months of usage and doing the cleaning process, you know, in like, indetectable levels of microbes. So, you know, we did the whole culture growth and everything. My, Dan, he’s a PhD, so it’s been ah insane to have him on, you know, fighting this battle because he’s

17:37.98

Audley Wilson

yeah He’s really been leading the charge. We’re actually going to the American ah the Association of Food and Drug Officers’ Apto conference next week to present the machine to all of the health the big health officials around the country because you know we’re we’re we’re not we’re we’re not shy now to show what we’ve done because it’s it’s been challenging to get here, um but it’s pretty cool.

17:54.22

vigorbranding

Very cool.

18:01.29

vigorbranding

Yeah, ah yeah you should be you should be incredibly proud. and You know, you always are smiling and you’re always laughing. and I can only imagine how many obstacles you faced. And so you you’re you have the perfect attitude as ah as an entrepreneur because you’re you’re willing to smile and figure out the next thing. And that’s that’s ah that’s a gift. It sounds obvious, but boy, it’s so hard. And yeah, yeah.

18:21.34

Audley Wilson

Oh man, yeah, those was hard days where it’s just like, you’re just like, you go home, you’re like, I don’t even know how we’re gonna, I don’t know how to put a smile on the face.

18:28.18

vigorbranding

Yeah.

18:29.13

Audley Wilson

it And then you go in the next day, it’s like, gotta kick, gotta kick ass today to enter.

18:32.63

vigorbranding

Yeah, that’s right. That’s right. That’s absolutely right. All right. So you opened up your first row robo burger pop up in Jersey city in 2022.

18:36.44

Audley Wilson

Yeah.

18:39.98

Audley Wilson

yeah

18:41.01

vigorbranding

How many locations you have now and then where do you see your machines being successful?

18:45.62

Audley Wilson

Yeah, so it’s been we’ve been in the beta period up until Shark Tank. so That was actually when we had pulled our our machines for all of our beta machines from the market. so First, we and we actually launched our first um unit to the market in 2020. That was in that that dive bar in Jersey City.

19:00.78

vigorbranding

Okay.

19:03.87

Audley Wilson

Then in 2022, we introduced our and NSF certified Mark II generation Two model to the mall and then we then after that we went to a pilot flying J and a couple other locate in the college in Queens and a couple of the locations um to you know, just perfecting the technology getting up to the next levels and then now we just got our and NSF or UL certification for our generation five units and those are the units now we’re rolling into the market.

19:28.50

vigorbranding

Mm hmm. Hmm.

19:33.91

Audley Wilson

So we have ah we we just launched our first units like a month ago into the market in ah in a business in a business and a business location with Pfizer. And now we’re and we’re launching with Penn Entertainment some casinos. in Pennsylvania they’re who are actually launching in their location in Indiana and then in their location in St.

19:51.77

vigorbranding

Mmhmm.

19:57.67

Audley Wilson

Louis this month and then next month we’re launching with another location for that same business and then machines after machines so going into a bunch of airports in terms of where we see the best bits you know convenience It’s really like where we are the the kitchen for convenience, both unattended retail as well as the traditional convenience store. So we we really are we really are looking forward to working with partners there. Bending, obviously. Bending partners, who we’re now able to

20:32.03

Audley Wilson

Make food service accessible for vending, which has really never been the case before. Food service previously was always prepared food, and distribution just dropping it onto to a cold case. and Now we’re talking about real food service, you know being able to offer their customers a higher so higher level solution. airports. We’re going into Orlando, MCO, and we’re going to be going into a few other airports throughout the country when our partners in the travel hospitality industry. And, you know, we’re excited to go into a few colleges.

21:05.70

vigorbranding

Sure.

21:06.61

Audley Wilson

Hopefully our album amount is over the course of the next few months. So I’m just really excited to start getting this technology out there.

21:11.14

vigorbranding

That’s awesome. Well, it makes sense. Yeah, I mean, it makes sense. You know, it’s kind of interesting because, ah you know, candidly, I was watching the your episode of Shark Tank, and we can talk about that. yeah But when I was watching, I was watching with my wife, and my you know, my wife’s smart.

21:23.90

Audley Wilson

you

21:26.40

vigorbranding

She’s like asking questions like, yeah do you really need um a vending machine that serves burgers? She was impressed by how fresh it was and all that. and i said to her i said well but like Someone did the first vending machine for a soda. and At the time, you could get a soda at your house, you get a soda at a grocery store, you get a soda probably at a convenience store. so There’s plenty of places to get a soda. Why did you need to build a refrigerator, put it somewhere? and and When you think about it from that perspective, i mean it probably seemed a bit outlandish and maybe almost unnecessary But yet, let’s face it, ah soda vending machines are huge.

21:58.43

vigorbranding

So why not burgers? why i mean it makes total When you look at it from that perspective, I think it makes total sense.

22:00.66

Audley Wilson

Indeed.

22:02.65

vigorbranding

Because again, to your point, like colleges or airports, there’s people that want to have a decent, ah you know a good quality food experience, and places aren’t open. And especially now after COVID, there’s so many issues with employees and you know cutting down hours and and and all of that that you you’re you’re actually answering. You’ve been working on the solution to a problem that probably has been exacerbated over the last couple of years. you know it’s a

22:27.50

Audley Wilson

Yeah. it It’s interesting as well.

22:28.14

vigorbranding

so

22:29.57

Audley Wilson

Think back to like even like 2000, like there were so many more cafeterias, like, you know, in every business that was open, c catering to the office.

22:34.22

vigorbranding

Right.

22:38.83

Audley Wilson

Obviously there’s more work from home now, which has sort of caused a sort of shift, right?

22:40.66

vigorbranding

Mm-hmm.

22:43.75

Audley Wilson

So people have gone from like these, the cafeterias and people sort of moving back into this unattended retail.

22:46.82

vigorbranding

Right.

22:50.78

Audley Wilson

Vending solution. Um, you know, so going back to the world where the the automat was a solution, right? You know, so if you think back about that back in the 50s, there was the automat Um, so I think people are really starting to shift back to this high high convenience, right? How can I get what I want when I want it wherever I am? um And at the same time businesses need to handle for the fact that there’s ah you know, there’s less labor out there um at ah significantly higher rates than it was yeah I’m thinking back to minimum wage when I had my restaurant in 2004 was six dollars six dollars an hour

23:22.47

vigorbranding

Yeah, sure. Yeah.

23:25.27

Audley Wilson

I’m like, wow, I can’t even imagine. so you like having like you know I had 20 people. like I can’t imagine having that many people in a tiny small business with today’s minimal wages and increased food costs.

23:33.43

vigorbranding

Right. Right.

23:41.09

Audley Wilson

so you know like the The challenges are getting are bigger for the operator than ever. But yeah know by by going to the small unattended footprint, people are able to you know the distribute their costs over multiple locations, and make more money, um and and find new opportunities for growth.

24:01.13

vigorbranding

That’s great. so i mean we We talked briefly about the Shark Tank episode. I think people are really interested because it is ah as an entrepreneur, i mean i like I said, it’s one of those things where I’d sit there and and and focus on. I couldn’t watch it late at night because my brain would be spinning. you know i I loved it trying to figure out the angles. Would I do the deal? If I was selling the idea, how would I sell it? you know Looking at it from a marketing perspective, looking at it from a business perspective, it’s just you know my head’s going to explode. so Talk about that. like did you Did you pitch your idea? Did they come to you? What was the experience like? Did they do run-throughs? Talk a little bit about that and how the whole thing came together. i mean we see you know What do we see? Like 15 minutes, 12 minutes of any segment. um and you know but But what all is in there? i mean how How does that all work? I’d love to hear hear sort of like the behind the scenes a little bit.

24:51.43

Audley Wilson

Yeah. Yeah, I remember when I started working on my burger machine back in the day, you know, Shark Tank had came out and they were everyone was like, you should go on Shark Tank with this idea. So it was crazy to to actually go on Shark Tank eventually. The way it all came about was through, I guess, you know media When we launched our first mission our first Gen 2 machine in the mall here in Jersey, we got 4.4 billion impressions, like 43 million in earned media value.

25:22.69

Audley Wilson

So like we just got so much media.

25:23.32

vigorbranding

Mm hmm.

25:24.93

Audley Wilson

um like I remember my wife ah my wife’s mom from Moldova saw us on TV and filmed it and sent us the video in Moldova.

25:30.52

vigorbranding

Mm

25:35.28

Audley Wilson

I was like, wow, this is… And I think that shows that like you know people have a lot of interest in this type of technology, and burgers specifically burgers are completely automated in a vending format.

25:39.48

vigorbranding

hmm.

25:48.13

Audley Wilson

um So that’s when we got the eye of the, I think, Shark Tank team.

25:54.63

vigorbranding

Gotcha.

25:54.68

Audley Wilson

um So at that point they you know they reached out to me back back in 2022. I didn’t even respond because I’m like, there is no way I’m going on Shark Tank with this machine. It is way too early. I need to itate iterate, iterate, iterate, iterate, iterate, iterate, iterate. And then we did probably about 100 more iterations after that.

26:14.76

vigorbranding

wow

26:14.72

Audley Wilson

And then you know a year later, i yeah like i get ah i get a response I get the same email again. It’s like, hey. I was like, wait, hold on. Did I respond the last time? And that’s what I realized. I didn’t respond like, wow, I’m a horrible person. ah hu So like, you know, it’s like, all right, you know what? I think we’re ready. So we responded, then then that pretty much got us into the process. And then we we had to do our practice pitches where, um you know, the producer’s feedback to me was usually around, you know, like every everyone did great, upset oddly, more energy.

26:49.93

Audley Wilson

but So my other two partners, they’re like very photogenic. So they like yeah they they really love being on camera. um but So yeah that was that was ah that was a fun process of you know just trying to you try to actually get nailed the pitch, because you get to practice, or they’re practicing it amongst ourselves um with some of our friends, trying to like, you this is you know this is what we’re, or what do you think about this these lines guys?

26:56.32

vigorbranding

ah

27:14.59

vigorbranding

Mm hmm.

27:15.64

Audley Wilson

um And then, Yeah, but yeah we never when you actually get to Shark Tank, it’s just one go. it’s You get on stage, and you know that youre you’re there that you’re standing on this carpet, and the next, to you know the door’s open, and and it’s it’s live. it’s a the never no no No cuts.

27:36.12

vigorbranding

Got it.

27:36.28

Audley Wilson

you and there you know they The team there is amazing. There’s so many cameras trained on your every move. um they’re you know they’re They’re amazing. um Yeah, it but it was ah it was really it was a really interesting experience. It was, you know, I’ve done thousands of pitches, you know, over the over the years, you know, thousands, but this one was, you know, I never had one. It was, you know, quite the same film where, you know, it’s going to be viewed by everyone and with everyone’s ah full ego and energy and enthusiasm coming for television, you know, in terms of the the judges on the other side. So, you know, it was quite an experience.

28:13.83

vigorbranding

That’s awesome. so So I read somewhere that that entrepreneurs who appear in the show required to meet with a show psychologist afterwards, just to make sure you weren’t beat up too bad or tortured by the experience. Was that true? Did you guys talk to somebody afterwards?

28:24.62

Audley Wilson

That’s 100% true. That’s 100% true. I know, like, everywhere they told us before, it was like, ah that’s weird. And then author words, it was like, it actually was it was nice to talk. Like, we were all very over the moon and excited. So it was nice to, you know, they they really, you know, they’ve been doing it for 15 years.

28:40.86

vigorbranding

Yeah.

28:45.31

Audley Wilson

They know what they’re doing. It’s an impressive of organization.

28:46.60

vigorbranding

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I’m sure. Hey, and you guys got a deal. Congratulations. I’m sure some people are over there and they’re in the fetal position crying in the corner. You know, like I spent most of my life, bill you know, dedicated to this business and they’re telling me it’s a terrible idea. So, ah but but yeah.

28:58.91

Audley Wilson

You know, at one point, and you you know you you saw the episode, at one point in the middle of the episode, it’s like, wow, that’s good to be me.

29:05.63

vigorbranding

Yeah. Well, my wife said, Oh, they’re not going to get a deal. I’m like, well, just watch. Let’s see. You know? And, uh, you’re, by the way, you said about not being photogenic. I disagree with you, but your, your, your partner, the CMO was hilarious because he got a lot of closeups because in the beginning they were saying some stuff that wasn’t so nice and his eyes are just like, you look like a deer in the headlights. It was awesome. So he made he made for good TV. That’s for sure. That guy’s he’s a character you can tell.

29:26.93

Audley Wilson

yeah

29:28.22

vigorbranding

Uh, but.

29:28.42

Audley Wilson

yeah he’s so He’s definitely a character. He used to be on ah TV commercials back in the day, like Mr. Bubbles and all this other stuff. And and he’s ah you know he he’s is ah quite a character.

29:41.26

vigorbranding

Yeah. And so you you you got in with Mr. Wonderful, Kevin O’Leary and Michael Rubin. So you got a $1.5 million dollars loan at 9%. And are you are you happy with the deal? Have you guys ah gotten any traction?

29:52.16

Audley Wilson

Yeah, we’re very happy with the deal. These are exactly the sharks that we wanted to work with.

29:54.39

vigorbranding

OK.

29:57.73

Audley Wilson

yeah We wanted to we wanted to know work with Mr. Wonderful. We wanted to have him ah up on stage and interacting with the machine. ah And that that was before we found out who the guest shark was going to be.

30:08.71

vigorbranding

Mm-hmm.

30:08.88

Audley Wilson

And it was Michael Rubin. And we’re like, wow, Michael Rubin. That’s really cool. So like you know we ended up getting exactly the sharks that we wanted to do a deal with. two sharks and especially after coming to a point where we thought we were going to have like zero sharks at one point.

30:23.43

vigorbranding

Yeah, yeah.

30:23.51

Audley Wilson

is So you it was it was ah was it it was just a it was ah it was a lot of fun um after it was done. It was the most intense 34 hours and but of my life, the most intense 34 hour trip to LA ever.

30:41.85

vigorbranding

Yeah, I’ll bet.

30:41.91

Audley Wilson

um It was just nonstop.

30:44.97

vigorbranding

That’s awesome. Okay. So let’s talk back to back on the rubber burger. Can you share some details about what you’re, you’re cooking up for the future? I mean, like, you know, some people want bacon on their burgers. You know, we know the lettuce and tomato thing and fresh vegetable. That can be obviously comp an issue. Can you talk a little bit about maybe some of the decisions you made to do things, not to do things and some potential ideas of what you might do next?

31:00.46

Audley Wilson

Yeah,

31:04.12

Audley Wilson

yeah so so let let’s talk about lettuce and tomatoes first. The reason we didn’t do do lettuce and tomatoes first is Dan would always say is because of E.

31:08.15

vigorbranding

Yeah.

31:13.30

Audley Wilson

coli and some of the challenges there and being able to detect it.

31:13.77

vigorbranding

Hmm.

31:16.27

Audley Wilson

um It actually is just another hurdle for the operator and our goal is trying to reduce hurdles for the operator to be able to deliver road burger to their end consumer. So yeah that’s why we’re not offering it our first first iterations of these units. um In time, we’d like to operate. But actually, the operators that we’ve been working with haven’t been asking for that so much. But we’d love to be able to do it so that we can do more brand partnerships with you some of the bigger fast food companies that are out there that do use lettuce and tomatoes. In terms of bacon, we would like to do bacon.

31:52.30

Audley Wilson

We’re not sure how or when. We definitely want to add it to our lineup. In terms of coming soon, what we’re working towards, we want to be able to make the unit smaller. We want to have a smaller unit that we can even reduce the cost to the operator even more.

32:05.61

vigorbranding

Mm

32:10.34

Audley Wilson

We want to be able to make a bigger unit that can really be able to do really high volume. you If you think about replacing the back end of burger production for any of the big fast food companies. and So we want to be able to go about bigger and smaller while constantly just trying to reduce the cost to the operators that way. Because at the end of the day, like yeah I’m an operator, Andy’s andy’s had ah three restaurants as well.

32:32.35

vigorbranding

hmm.

32:33.68

Audley Wilson

um you like We know how how annoying it is to actually take a portion of your profits out of your pocket to fund X and Y expenses. So we just want to make it lower and lower and lower so that way they can make more money.

32:46.69

vigorbranding

that’s fantastic

32:47.31

Audley Wilson

That’s really where our focuses are on. Um, and, uh, you know, faster, you know, it’s currently takes us about four minutes to make a burger. We like to be able to get more throughput, you know, cause at the end of the day, you know, it’s all, if you’re there, which is multiple people right now, we can, we can spread, if there are multiple machines, we can spread orders across a few, the cluster of units, but you know, we don’t want to be ah that same unit to be able to make burgers two times as fast.

33:11.36

vigorbranding

Yeah. Yeah. And if I remember correctly, your, your machine currently can hold like 50 burgers, right? Like so, uh, it stacks.

33:17.53

Audley Wilson

Yeah.

33:18.40

vigorbranding

Yeah. So, and I mean, depend obviously depending on how many you sell that someone’s got to come in and then service the machine and, and restock it and everything else.

33:25.40

Audley Wilson

Exactly.

33:26.22

vigorbranding

So yeah, that makes total sense.

33:27.31

Audley Wilson

Exactly.

33:27.63

vigorbranding

So so

33:28.47

Audley Wilson

So in some of the airport applications in the busy or high volume, then yeah what we’re they’re doing is putting multiple machines, two, three, four machines in like clusters and then multiple clusters throughout the locations. So that’s ah really what we’re building towards that world where you have food anywhere, anytime. Because we’ve all been to that airport where yeah um the your flight gets delayed.

33:48.16

vigorbranding

Yeah.

33:50.29

Audley Wilson

You’re there till like 2 AM. m yeah The bar closed down at 8 PM.

33:52.45

vigorbranding

Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, no doubt.

33:56.34

Audley Wilson

just there waiting

33:57.88

vigorbranding

Yep, I totally, totally.

33:58.23

Audley Wilson

yeah so well

33:59.76

vigorbranding

I’ve experienced it pretty much every week. you know I’m on a plane every week and ah you know every other week umm I’m in a situation similar to that. like When do I eat? When should I get something? What can I get? What’s the quality I can get? you know And then with delays and layovers and canceled flights, you never know when where you’re going to be. So I think it’s i think um it makes a ton of sense. Now, I have a couple of other just really simple questions for you.

34:21.39

Audley Wilson

And you’re just there waiting.

34:21.65

vigorbranding

And I know your burger’s great. I’ve had it. So between, I’ll say, Burger King, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s, who makes the best burger?

34:28.40

Audley Wilson

ah wendy um Wendy’s, Dave Thomas all but all day long, but Shake Shack is definitely my my favorite here as a New Yorker.

34:33.92

vigorbranding

Yeah, right.

34:39.09

Audley Wilson

um yeah I’m a big Shake Shack fan.

34:42.94

vigorbranding

Yeah, I totally and you know what i agree with exactly what you said. I do agree with Wendy’s out of those three. And I i love Shake Shack. I’m a diehard Phillies fan. They have one down outside the stadium or inside the stadium. And that’s that’s usually my go to that or hot dog. Of course, it’s a baseball game. um And, you know, I was at Burger America in New York and who does the smash burger? and ah the Mr. Mott’s and he said he dedicated his life to the hamburger. So you two have a lot in common. You ought to yeah you you ought to connect.

35:07.38

Audley Wilson

Oh, man, yeah.

35:08.79

vigorbranding

He’s a

35:09.12

Audley Wilson

um but i ever I think that’s I’d love to connect to it. another

35:11.99

vigorbranding

Yeah. Yeah. And so now like one final meal, if you have to, you could pick anything other than your burger. I can’t let you just pick your burger, but anything, what would your, yeah what would your final meal be?

35:19.30

Audley Wilson

Oh, definitely. Yeah, let’s see.

35:22.01

vigorbranding

What would it be? And where would you have it? Why?

35:26.91

Audley Wilson

Probably lobster and oysters um on a beach in Jamaica.

35:30.29

vigorbranding

Very good.

35:33.31

vigorbranding

Oh, nice. Well done. I like that. I can, I can picture that. That’s fantastic.

35:37.01

Audley Wilson

Because I’m Jamaican, because I’m Jamaican, and whenever me and my wife are down there, I love love hitting up a nice lobster um but from like the rust, the shack on the beach.

35:41.71

vigorbranding

That’s great.

35:50.49

vigorbranding

That’s fantastic. Ollie, you were wonderful. Is there anything else you want to mention about what you’re up to or anything else about the ah Robo Burger?

35:58.65

Audley Wilson

Yeah, well, you know, so right now we’re offering robo burger for sale for the first time really to the general public. Previously, we’ve only been working with like some of the, the biggest players that manage food and, uh, and convenience. So now we’re actually, uh, selling these units.

36:14.19

vigorbranding

Fantastic.

36:14.15

Audley Wilson

So if anybody is interesting in getting their hands on the unit, we’d love to speak with you. Um, come check us out on our website, the robo burger.com th E robo burger.com. Um, and, uh, looking forward to speaking with you.

36:27.91

vigorbranding

Ali, you are awesome. I appreciate your time and I love your passion and congratulations on your success and your fortitude, I’ll say. You just smile and keep going forward. So, I mean, it’s amazing and I’m really, really impressed by what you’ve done. Thank you.

36:41.09

Audley Wilson

Well, thank you so much. I appreciate speaking with you.

36:44.92

vigorbranding

Good deal.