The Filling Station, West Haverstraw, NY
When John first saw the Alpha Grill, he wasn’t sure what to expect.
“Honestly, I was skeptical. It was big, and we had to move some things around to make it fit. I didn’t know how exactly it was going to work for us. But once we had it operating, it was absolutely fine. Within an hour, we were running efficiently.”
The transition turned out to be smoother than expected. Staff learned how to place burgers, select doneness on the screen, and let the grill handle the rest.
“Within the first day, everyone was comfortable. They were saying, ‘This is awesome.’”
What happened after The TFS Team started using Alpha Grill?
Cook Times Cut by 70%
Burgers that once took 8–10 minutes now cook in under 3 minutes
Grilled chicken, which used to take 10 minutes, is also ready in 3 minutes and comes out juicy every time
Consistency Every Time
Every patty is cooked exactly to the selected doneness.
No more temping each burger or worrying about hitting the right spot.
Zero customer complaints about doneness since the Alpha Grill arrived.
Labor Efficiency
The kitchen runs smoothly with two people instead of three.
What used to require adding an extra hand at $300/hour can now stretch to $400/hour or more
Less stress and smoother flow during peak demand.
“Since we’ve had the robot, two people can be busier than we’ve ever been and there’s no added stress. That’s huge for us.”
Customer Experience
Faster service without sacrificing taste. Frequently returning customers for pick up orders.
Guests haven’t noticed a difference in flavor in fact, many are intrigued by the technology.
Some ask about the robot out of curiosity, then are surprised by how good their food tasted and quick their food arrives.
“Customers say the burger tastes the same. No Difference. They just think a robot cooking it is cool.”
When you walk into The Filling Station (TFS) Burger Works in West Haverstraw, New York, the first thing you notice is the energy. The sizzling of burgers, the smell of fresh-cut fries, and the steady flow of customers remind you why the local spot has built such a loyal following over the last decade.
But behind the scenes, keeping up with that demand wasn’t always easy.
“Our burgers are always fresh, never frozen. Fries are hand-cut, sauces are made right here. That’s what separates us from the average burger place,” says John, manager of the West Haverstraw location. “But that also meant we had challenges as burgers took 8 to 10 minutes to cook, and during busy times, staff were stretched thin.”
The Challenge: Quality vs. Speed
TFS has a reputation for high standards, but those standards came with trade-offs:
Longer cook times meant wait times piled up during rush hours.
Staff had to manually temp every burger to ensure doneness, adding to delays.
Inconsistency sometimes led to remakes and wasted food.
Stress levels spiked whenever the dining room, phone, and online orders all hit at once.
The Bigger Picture: Scaling with Confidence
For John and the TFS team, the Alpha Grill isn’t just about today’s operations it’s about preparing for tomorrow. “We’re opening new locations and franchising. Consistency is everything. The Alpha Grill gives us the confidence that a burger in one location will taste exactly the same in another,” says John. With reduced cook times, less labor stress, and guaranteed consistency, TFS is scaling its brand without sacrificing what made it special in the first place.
Key Takeaways
Cook times reduced from 8–10 minutes to under 3
Zero complaints about doneness since implementation
Ability to serve more customers with fewer staff
Less stress and fatigue on staff, better service
Customers enjoy the same taste delivered faster
“We can handle 10 orders in 25–30 minutes with everything out hot and perfect. Customers haven’t noticed a taste difference and they just think the robot cooking is cool. The most practical advantage is definitely time, which also saves on labor. We can serve more people with fewer staff, and the burgers are always perfect. For us, that’s key.”
– John, Manager, TFS Burger Works