SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SoftBank Robotics Corp. today announced the U.S. debut of its autonomous cooking robots, “STEAMA” and “FLAMA,” developed based on its FOOD DX expertise cultivated in Japan. The robots will be showcased at the National Restaurant Association Show 2026, one of the largest foodservice industry trade shows, taking place in Chicago from May 16 to 19, 2026.
This exhibition is part of SoftBank Robotics’ global expansion strategy in the FOOD DX domain and represents an initiative aimed at advancing next-generation foodservice operations in the U.S. market.
STEAMA is a steam-based cooking robot that uses high-pressure, high-temperature steam to prepare frozen noodle dishes in about 90 seconds. Designed for simple, one-touch operation, it recreates the smooth, springy texture of freshly boiled noodles, along with the rich aroma of soup and ingredients. By heating noodles and ingredients evenly with steam, STEAMA helps operators serve hot, freshly prepared, high-quality noodle dishes with consistency and ease.
FLAMA is a food-service cooking robot that automates the entire process—from adding ingredients and seasonings to stir-frying, mixing, thickening, plating, and post-cooking cleaning. By integrating with the recipe management software “SyncKitchen,” it enables synchronization of recipes from renowned chefs and popular restaurants, making it possible to consistently reproduce and serve them anywhere.
The foodservice, ready-meal, and retail industries in the U.S. —much like in Japan—are at an inflection point, facing mounting structural challenges including chronic labor shortages, rising labor costs, workforce instability driven by low retention, and inconsistent quality across multi-location operations. At the same time, rapidly evolving consumer expectations for convenience and speed are raising the bar for operators, demanding faster, more efficient, and highly consistent food service delivery.
These pressures are not confined to restaurants and cafeterias. They are increasingly impacting a broad range of sectors where food service plays a critical role—including corporate dining as part of employee experience, food programs within technology companies, and food court operations in large-scale retail—highlighting a shared need for more scalable and resilient food service models.
SoftBank Robotics Corp. goes beyond product delivery to redesign foodservice operations by integrating technology, workflows, and human expertise. Through solutions centered on automated cooking robots, the company is enabling operators to reduce labor dependency, standardize quality, optimize service speed, and build more scalable and sustainable foodservice models.
“We’re excited to bring STEAMA and FLAMA the U.S. market and showcase our vision for the future of foodservice. These solutions are designed to enable operators to improve consistency, reduce operational complexity, and unlock greater value for both staff and customers,” said Tatsuhiko Hata, Executive Vice President, RX&Food Business, SoftBank Robotics Corp.
️Exhibit Information: National Restaurant Association Show 2026
| Days | May 16 (Sat) – May 19 (Tue), 2026 |
| Venue | McCormick Place 2301 S. King Drive, Chicago, IL, USA |
| Exhibit Location | Displayed at the booths of Bear Robotics and Hestia
Bear Robotics: North Building, Booth #6217 Hestia: Global Chinese Food Expo, Lakeside Center, Booth #11102 |
| Visitor Registration | https://registration.nationalrestaurantshow.com/ShowNRA261/Flow/ATT |
| Organizer | Informa Connect / National Restaurant Association |
| Official Website | https://www.nationalrestaurantshow.com/home/ |
About SoftBank Robotics Corp.
SoftBank Robotics Corp. has been at the forefront of robotics technology development since the launch of its humanoid robot “Pepper” in 2014. The group has consistently introduced innovation, including autonomous cleaning robots in 2018, multi-tray delivery robots in 2021, and automated logistics solutions consulting in 2022. Leveraging extensive knowledge and operational data, SoftBank Robotics is playing a pioneering role as a Robot Integrator (RI) by providing effective robotic implementation solutions. With a global presence in 21 locations across 9 countries, SoftBank Robotics' robots are deployed worldwide. The group is committed to advancing towards a society where people and robots coexist through robots' transformation (RX).
Read More:
Robot Cybersecurity: Why It Is Essential for Safe Industrial Operations
