Steve Ells, the founder and former CEO of Chipotle, is planning a comeback to the food industry early next year with a new startup.

The venture, named Kernel, aims to introduce a chain of restaurants featuring meat-free sandwiches produced by a combination of robots and a minimal human staff.

Scheduled to open its first location in Manhattan, Kernel plans to expand with at least a dozen more restaurants across New York over the next two years, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Each Kernel store will be staffed by three individuals collaborating with robots to prepare items like meat-free burgers, faux chicken sandwiches, salads, acai bowls, and sides such as wild rice with cucumbers, Fox 13 reported.

The menu includes options like a veggie burger with salsa verde and pickled onions on a toasted brioche bun, accompanied by crispy potatoes.

Kernel is designed to operate with fewer resources, aiming for greater efficiency and reduced waste in its operations.

Written by B.C. Begley