Penang Hawker Food Goes Hi-Tech At Food Bayana: Malaysia's First Semi-Automated Food Hub

GEORGE TOWN, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- Customers place their orders at the food counter and the food stall operator uses robots to send the orders to the upper floor using special lift.

The orders are then delivered to the designated food stocker, which then notifies customers to pick up their meals via their phones.

This how advanced the country's first semi-automated and high-tech food hub, Food Bayana in Bayan Lepas here is. A blend of modern innovation, natural beauty and sustainable living, the food court embodies a vision where advanced technology and eco-friendly practices come together to create a unique lifestyle experience.

Food Bayana chairman, Datuk Chua Choo Bin said that it was a challenge to develop the food court due to its narrow size, and they came across an innovative solution to maximise the use of the 25,000 square feet available.

"Our only viable option was to construct a two-storey structure, with food stalls on the ground floor and dining areas on the upper floor. This design, however, introduced a new challenge - how to efficiently delivering food to customers seated upstairs.

"To solve this, we implemented the use of automated robots that move between floors using the elevator. Despite this innovation, another challenge emerged - ensuring quick food delivery to all customers on the top floor," he said at launch of the food court today. 

The final step of getting the food to hungry customers was solved by sending the orders to the designated food stocker and notifying customers to pick up their meals on their phones, Chua shared.

He pointed out that the innovation was made possible through Pentamaster Corporation Berhad's expertise in automation, particularly in delivery systems and storage solutions, which led to the development of a system centred around robotic delivery and stocker storage.

Costing an estimated RM30 million, the open-concept food court consists of 31 stalls offering famous Penang food, some which are listed by Michelin such as the famous Penang Laksa from Penang Road.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who was at the launch today, praised Food Bayana for incorporating a digital payment system and robotic technology to deliver food to customers.

"I am confident that this project will indeed add value to the surrounding area. We hope that it will be an iconic project that can be (prepared) for other industrial areas,” he added.

-- BERNAMA