12.2.2021
Linda Pouliot is the co-founder and CEO of Dishcraft Robotics. Serving the hospitality industry, including hotels and resorts, the company’s robotic solution delivers significant improvements over traditional ware washing. Currently, Dishcraft serves the San Francisco Bay Area, with plans to expand to several new cities in 2022. Linda Pouliot has a long track record of success as a serial entrepreneur specializing in robotics. In 2004, she co-founded Neato Robotics with the idea that robots can perform household chores as effectively as humans. At Neato, she was Vice President of Product Management and Operations, where, in addition to product management and operations, she oversaw hiring and manufacturing. The company was acquired in 2017. She also served as COO of Adiri, Inc., where she worked on the internationally award-winning Adiri Natural Nurser. She has also developed products for retail brands, including Disney, Banana Republic, and QVC, as Director of Operations at Gouda. She has been awarded multiple patents and international awards. She graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with a BFA cum laude.
Dishcraft has carved out a unique niche as “a robotics company focused on solving labor and sustainability challenges facing hospitality foodservice operators.” What does that mean, exactly?
Operating much like linen service, we deliver clean dishes daily, bringing back the used wares to a centralized hub powered by robotics and AI to wash, sanitize and inspect the items. Our robotics and AI enables a more sustainable solution, addresses labor gaps and improves dishwashing jobs. The system uses one-tenth the power, one quarter the water, and one-eighth the labor compared to a traditional dishroom operation.
Who are your customers? What are the biggest benefits your company delivers?
Our customers include corporate cafeterias, foodservice providers, caterers, food delivery providers, hotels, and restaurants. There are many benefits. Our service eases the impact of labor shortages. It offers predictability, since operators no longer worry about staffing, turnover, and overtime in the dishroom. It ensures consistency since every plate is washed identically whether it is the first plate of the day or last, ensuring the cleanest ware available as each ware is inspected 22 times. Also, it is a sustainable alternative to single-use disposables.
You’re a serial entrepreneur with a strong background in robotics. What led you to co-founding Dishcraft in 2015? How did you identify the business opportunity, in the first place, and how were you able to bring the idea to fruition?
I was approached by a board member of a chain of restaurants asking if there was an opportunity for robotics to help solve the staffing issues in the dishroom. He knew I had previously co-founded a robotic floor cleaning company, Neato Robotics, and wanted to know, given my background, if automation could alleviate the wage increases and turnover his restaurants were experiencing. I was intrigued, so I spent time in a variety of restaurant, hotel, and corporate kitchens in order to understand the problem. In parallel, engineers in my network looked at possible technical solutions. We determined that robotics could be part of the solution. We were excited by the prospect of solving real world issues through the use of robotics and process innovation.
How has the original vision for Dishcraft changed — or not changed — as the company has grown over the past six years? For example, was the “Dishes as a Service” offering part of the original plan?
We are constantly responding to …….