In an exclusive pilot partnership with the Circus Group, REWE Region West is bringing a fully autonomous AI robot to the supermarket for the first time. The robot cooks fresh meals from 3.50 euros, digitally ordered, fully automated and prepared live. Fast, hygienic and consistently delicious.
The innovative system combines state-of-the-art technology with culinary diversity and sets new standards for quality, efficiency and customer experience.
The first robot went into operation on 29 October at the REWE store in Düsseldorf-Heerdt. Two further locations are planned as part of the pilot project, and the next robot will be launched in November.
Customers choose their favourite dish at the digital terminal. © 2025 Michael Breuer | photokonzept
At the REWE supermarket in Düsseldorf-Heerdt, customers can now experience how high-tech and personal service merge to create a completely new shopping experience: the intelligent AI robot prepares meals fully autonomously and does so freshly, quickly and with consistently high quality. Intelligent sensor technology and precise software control not only guarantee perfect results, but also the highest hygiene and safety standards.
The CA-1 (Circus Autonomy One) robot combines patented AI technology, robotics and food hygiene standards. The result: consistently high quality, short waiting times and a globally unique shopping experience. Customers select their favourite dish at the digital terminal - the robot takes over the preparation live and with pinpoint accuracy, from the automated selection and portioning of fresh ingredients to the cooking process and final preparation in a freshly cleaned bowl. A freshly cooked dish is created in just a few minutes.
The menu includes a selection of internationally inspired dishes - from pasta, soups and curries to desserts such as Kaiserschmarrn or porridge. A variety of vegetarian and vegan options can also be selected. The modular technology enables flexible customisation of the menu: seasonal products can be integrated, customer requests can be taken into account and new recipes can be tested. This makes the cooking robot not only a technical innovation, but also a culinary one.
"With the use of fully autonomous food robots, we are demonstrating how food retail must think about innovation today: close to the needs of customers, technologically leading and with the highest quality standards. We combine efficiency with enjoyment and turn shopping into an experience of the future," explains Lars Klein, CEO of REWE Region West.
"Our AI robotics technology can be seamlessly integrated into existing retail environments, creating the first real point of contact with robotics in the everyday lives of end customers," says Nikolas Bullwinkel, CEO and founder of Circus. "Our goal is to use innovative technologies to create a greatly improved offering - high-quality nutrition with unbeatable value for money."
With the introduction of the autonomous food robot, REWE Region West and the Circus Group are sending a clear signal for the future of retail: an interplay of technology, freshness and experience that is trend-setting beyond the pilot market. "Fresh & Smart" turns the REWE store into a place of discovery - and shows how innovation can be incorporated into everyday life.
