
Foster City became home to a futuristic foray into food delivery with Olhso, the automated Korean BBQ and Seafood truck, shaking things up. According to a recent report by the San Francisco Business Times, these trucks, developed by a Korean restaurant tech startup, autonomously cook meals en route to customers using an 'auto-wok,' minimizing the need for human labor. Each truck operates with just a single employee, the driver.
Each Olhso truck self-sanitizes between meals, ensuring sanitary conditions play an integral role in maintaining the food on every order. As described on Olhso, this feature is part of a slew of high-tech kitchen amenities designed to uphold quality and freshness. The model is a vision shared by Zume, a pizza delivery venture that previously sparked interest in this field but hesitated as a cautionary tale.
Instagram foodies in Silicon Valley are already buzzing about the high-quality meals being churned out by these mobile culinary wonders. One user, the proprietor of the siliconvalley.foodies account raved about their experience, declaring the food "A+++" and insisting that Zume can't even compare to the offerings by Olhso's trucks—high praise given the local penchant for tech-driven dining innovations.
While currently only available in Foster City, there is talk, as the San Francisco Business Times outlines, of expanding to Santa Clara County. CEO Kish Shin mentioned the trucks shoot for between 20 to 30 orders per day with an average ticket price of around $80, focusing on "the 'P' of profit margin, rather than chasing after the 'Q' of quantity." Plans are also in the works for a more stationary model aiming for a lower price point and potentially 24/7 availability in venues like airports and universities.
The heart of Olhso's culinary success is their partnership with Chef Sungil Han, widely known in Korea for his expertise with Korean barbecue. As stated on Olhso's website, Han has operated several BBQ brands across Korea, and his recipes are the basis for the Olhso Truck's menu, which ranges from $25 to $55 and serves two to three people per order. The popularity of his flavors seems to be catching on, with the truck earning over $2,000 in just a few hours at a local swimming tournament in the East Bay.