# Yo-Kai Express

> Yo-Kai Express is a California-based food-tech company that builds autonomous restaurant kiosks - vending-machine-sized robot kitchens that cook fresh, chef-quality ramen and other hot meals in about 60-90 seconds, 24 hours a day. Founded in 2016 by former semiconductor engineer Andy Lin, the company applies chip-manufacturing precision to food, flash-freezing partially cooked ingredients and rapid-heating them on demand. Its machines operate in airports, hospitals, universities, offices, and transit hubs across North America, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.

- **Founded:** 2016
- **Headquarters:** Hayward, California, United States
- **Founders:** Andy Lin (Founder & CEO)
- **Team size:** ~14 employees
- **Products:** Autonomous Restaurant Kiosk, Robotic Ramen Machine, Automated Bubble Tea / Beverage Machine, AI Food Management Platform
- **Notable:** Built machines capable of cooking a fresh hot meal in roughly 60 seconds, Deployed to 150+ locations across North America, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, Served hundreds of thousands of meals since launch

## Products & services

- **Autonomous Restaurant Kiosk** — A self-contained robotic kitchen that cooks fresh, chef-quality meals in about 60-90 seconds using patented rapid-heating and robotics, operating 24/7 with no on-site staff.
- **Robotic Ramen Machine** — The flagship product - serves hot ramen with over 30 menu varieties including tonkotsu, plant-based, and Ippudo co-developed recipes.
- **Automated Bubble Tea / Beverage Machine** — A newer beverage-focused kiosk that reduces cold-chain logistics by shipping room-temperature ingredients.
- **AI Food Management Platform** — Software layer handling dynamic pricing, smart inventory optimization, and IoT monitoring across the machine network.

## Achievements

- Built machines capable of cooking a fresh hot meal in roughly 60 seconds
- Deployed to 150+ locations across North America, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea
- Served hundreds of thousands of meals since launch
- Secured strategic investment from Japan Tobacco, Ippudo, and Pulmuone
- Launched autonomous platform at Haneda Airport, Tokyo Station, and Taoyuan International Airport
- Earned an early public shout-out from Elon Musk in 2018

## Latest updates

- **2023-10** — Pulmuone launched gourmet vending machines across South Korea in partnership with Yo-Kai Express.
- **2023** — Company began expanding from ramen into automated bubble tea and beverages to cut cold-chain costs.
- **2025** — Reported plans to pursue a Nasdaq public listing and expand beverage machines.

## Links

- Website: https://yokaiexpress.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/yokaiexpress
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/YoKaiExpress
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SKu2lJbWKA
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yokaiexpress
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaiexpress/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/yo-kai-express
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-09