The intersection of culinary artistry and cutting-edge technology has reached a new pinnacle with the launch of 12 by AUTEC, an exclusive private dining series that’s revolutionizing how the food and beverage industry thinks about intimate dining experiences. On August 25, 2025, Technica House New York hosted the debut dinner that perfectly exemplified how sushi robotics can enhance rather than replace traditional culinary craftsmanship.
A New Era in Food and Beverage Innovation
AUTEC, the nation’s leading commercial sushi robot provider, has created something unprecedented in the hospitality industry. The 12 by AUTEC series represents more than just another dining concept—it’s a bold statement about the future of food service technology and its potential to elevate rather than diminish the human element in cuisine.
The debut event brought together only 12 guests in an intimate setting that blended fine dining, music, and design into a sensory-rich experience. This deliberate limitation on seating ensures that each guest receives personalized attention while witnessing firsthand how advanced robotics can seamlessly integrate into high-end culinary presentations.
Chef Yoojung Suh: Bridging Cultures Through Culinary Excellence
The inaugural dinner featured Chef Yoojung Suh, whose diverse background perfectly embodies the series’ mission to merge culinary creativity with food technology. Based in New York City, Chef Suh’s journey spans prestigious kitchens including Tsukimi, Hirohisa, and Brushstroke, bringing a wealth of experience that draws from her Korean roots, Japanese training, and American professional growth.
Her educational credentials are equally impressive, combining practical skills from the Culinary Institute of America with academic insight from NYU’s Food Studies program. As a certified Kikizakeshi (Sake Sommelier) and WSET wine education graduate, Chef Suh creates food and beverage experiences that demonstrate perfect harmony between tradition and innovation.
The Five-Course Culinary Journey
The Five-Course Culinary JourneyChef Suh’s menu for the debut dinner showcased her ability to tell stories through food, with each course reflecting cultural connection and seasonal nuance:
Course 1: Sakizuke – Hotate, grape, ume
Course 2: Owan – Corn, lobster, sansho
Course 3: Hassun – Makimono, snow crab somen, vegetable terrine, young corn dengaku
Course 4: Yakimono – Black cod, eggplant, tomato
Course 5: Shokuji – Short rib steak, yakumi
Dessert – Yogurt, seasonal fruit, mint
What made this menu particularly noteworthy was Chef Suh’s seamless incorporation of AUTEC’s sushi robotics into her process. Guests were delighted by how she blended her unique signature style with technological precision, creating dishes that maintained the soul of traditional Japanese cuisine while leveraging the consistency and efficiency that robotics provide.
The Technology Behind the Artistry
AUTEC’s sushi robots represent a significant advancement in food service technology, particularly for restaurants and hospitality companies looking to maintain consistency while scaling operations. The robots don’t replace the chef’s creativity but rather handle the precise, repetitive tasks that form the foundation of excellent sushi preparation.
During the dinner, guests observed how the technology enables chefs to focus on the creative aspects of their craft—flavor combinations, presentation artistry, and the storytelling that transforms a meal into an experience. This approach aligns perfectly with current food and beverage trends that emphasize both innovation and authenticity.
Implications for the Food Service Industry
The success of this inaugural event signals important developments for restaurant marketing and hospitality technology adoption. Food and beverage managers and directors are increasingly recognizing that technology integration doesn’t diminish the dining experience—when implemented thoughtfully, it can enhance it.
For procurement directors and foodservice executives, the 12 by AUTEC concept demonstrates several key advantages:
- Consistency: Robotic precision ensures every piece of sushi rice is perfectly formed
- Efficiency: Chefs can focus on creative elements rather than repetitive tasks
- Scalability: Technology enables high-quality sushi preparation at volume
- Innovation Appeal: Tech integration attracts modern diners seeking unique experiences
The Year-Long Series: A Platform for Culinary Innovation
The 12 by AUTEC series will continue through August 2026, featuring 12 influential guest chefs who will each craft one-night-only dining experiences. This format creates multiple opportunities for the food and beverage industry to observe how different culinary perspectives interact with advanced food service technology.
Each event will offer limited tickets, maintaining the exclusive atmosphere that made the debut dinner so successful. This scarcity model not only enhances the dining experience but also creates valuable case studies for hospitality managers looking to implement similar concepts in their own operations.
Setting New Standards in Private Dining
What sets 12 by AUTEC apart from other private dining concepts is its commitment to demonstrating that technology and tradition can coexist beautifully. The series addresses a common concern in the food and beverage industry: that automation might diminish the human element that makes dining experiences memorable.
Instead, these events prove that when robotics handle precision tasks, chefs are freed to excel at what humans do best—creating emotional connections through flavor, presentation, and storytelling. This approach offers valuable insights for food and beverage companies considering technology adoption.
Looking Forward: The Future of Food and Beverage Services
The 12 by AUTEC series represents more than an innovative dining concept—it’s a glimpse into the future of food and beverage management. As the hospitality industry continues to face staffing challenges and rising operational costs, solutions that combine technological efficiency with elevated experiences become increasingly valuable.
Restaurant owners and hospitality leaders watching this series will gain insights into how robotics can be integrated without sacrificing the personal touch that defines excellent service. The success of Chef Suh’s debut dinner demonstrates that guests embrace technology when it serves to enhance rather than replace human creativity.
For those interested in experiencing future 12 by AUTEC dinners or learning more about implementing similar concepts, limited tickets will be available for upcoming events. Industry professionals can also coordinate interviews with AUTEC CEO Taka Tanaka or participating chefs to gain deeper insights into this innovative approach to private dining.
The debut of 12 by AUTEC marks a significant moment in food service innovation, proving that the future of dining lies not in choosing between technology and tradition, but in finding ways to make them work together harmoniously.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector
