AI-powered community canteen brings smart dining to Beijing neighborhood

A chef cooks dishes with an AI machine.

A new AI-driven canteen in Beijing's Dongcheng district is transforming mealtime routines for residents and office workers. Operated by municipal enterprise Shoukai Group, the 260-square-meter "Jingshan AI Canteen" features 80 seats and serves three daily meals, demonstrating how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing everyday dining.

"Once the ingredients are ready, machines handle the rest," said chef Cheng Wei, a 20-year culinary veteran.

Standing before a waist-high AI-powered cooking unit, he selected a stir-fried pork dish and pressed a "one-click cooking" button. The system autonomously heated the wok, added oil, and sequentially introduced scallions, ginger, garlic, sliced pork, and chili peppers while precisely dispensing seasonings. A real-time display monitored oil temperature, heat intensity, and stirring speed with chef-like precision.

Within three minutes, 50 servings of steaming stir-fried pork were ready. The "auto-clean" function then sanitized the equipment in 10 seconds using high-pressure jets and rotating scrubbing.

With just two AI cooking machines and two chefs, the canteen efficiently serves over 200 patrons during lunch rushes -- work that traditionally requires at least ten staff.

"AI reduces labor needs while standardizing flavors and cooking precision," noted Cheng, who reported unprecedented kitchen efficiency.

Designed to serve nearby residents, office workers, and the broader community, the canteen leverages AI to improve both cost-efficiency and service quality.

According to Meng Haigang, the project's manager at Shoukai Group, the system can adjust menu offerings in real time based on customer flow, helping reduce food waste at the source. Meanwhile, its data-driven memory function analyzes diners' preferences, allowing menus to be dynamically optimized to better meet diverse tastes.

At 11:40 a.m., the peak lunch hour, the queue for food stretched nearly 15 meters but moved surprisingly quickly.

"Facial recognition, self-service meal pickup, and automatic payment -- it all takes less than a minute," said Wang Dan, who works nearby. After verifying her identity through a face scan, she selected her dishes -- stir-fried pork with eggs and sauteed broccoli. Prices were calculated instantly based on each item, and payment was automatically deducted from her stored-value account -- no cashier or QR code required.

Her meal cost under 30 yuan ($4.34). "It's affordable, light and healthy, and the open kitchen makes it reassuring to eat here," she said. After dining, the system also provided a nutritional breakdown of her meal, including calorie count and intake of protein and vitamins, along with dietary suggestions.

Like Wang, many local residents have been drawn to the canteen since its opening. "Our neighborhood has a relatively large elderly population, and the AI canteen serves as a valuable supplement to existing senior meal services," said Dong Dong, deputy director of the Jingshan subdistrict office. "The smart system makes dining more convenient, and the reasonable prices and quality meals bring real warmth to the community."

Diners take their food at the AI canteen.

(Photos from the official WeChat account of the Information Office of Beijing Municipality Government)