JD.com opens self-operated takeout kitchen 'Qixian Xiaochu' in Beijing, 36Kr reports

36Kr reported on July 22, 2025, that JD.com's self-operated takeout kitchen, 'Qixian Xiaochu,' had opened in Beijing. The kitchen reportedly uses cooking robots.

The report that cooking robots are being used at a JD.com-operated kitchen shows that robots are being deployed in the cooking process. The excerpt does not provide details on operational scale or capacity, so the effects on labor requirements or cooking efficiency cannot be assessed.

The report confirms that JD.com's self-operated takeout kitchen, 'Qixian Xiaochu,' has opened in Beijing and uses cooking robots. In an article covering competition in food delivery, the notable point is that robots are being used in kitchen cooking, rather than in delivery. However, the reported opening of one facility is a separate issue from the extent to which robots are used across kitchen operations. The excerpt does not specify the number of robots, the cooking tasks they handle, their output or their operating hours. For that reason, this information should not be equated with the large-scale deployment of robotic cooking or automation across an entire delivery network. A kitchen opening is closer to actual operations than a robot demonstration or display, but a report of its launch does not establish cooking quality, staffing arrangements, integration with order processing or a track record of continued operation. The 36Kr article also mentions funding for robotics companies, but the excerpt provided does not establish any connection between those companies and the operation of 'Qixian Xiaochu'; the two should not be linked in an assessment. Comparisons with our related coverage also require distinguishing between use cases and types of evidence. A report on the decline in daily rental rates for humanoid robots in China covers rental rates for humanoid robots and does not indicate the deployment costs or economics of cooking robots used in kitchens. A feature on AiMOGA's humanoid robot 'Mornine' by humanoid.guide is also an introductory article, not evidence of the kitchen's operating record. The points to watch are the tasks and number of cooking robots, the kitchen's capacity, its operating record and how work is divided between robots and staff. Without those details, the opening alone cannot establish the extent of labor savings or operational benefits. See the original report for details.