沙拉食刻，這個曾經憑藉“AI無人貨櫃+健康輕食”概念一度吸引無數目光的品牌，如今正面臨全面崩盤的窘境。這一曾經被認為是輕食賽道明星項目的企業，如今成為社交媒體和輿論焦點，其快速衰落讓人難以想像。

沙拉食刻的全名為沙拉食刻（廣東）食品科技有限公司，成立於2020年，總部位於廣東東莞。品牌以AI無人貨櫃結合冷鏈運輸的方式，將鮮食快餐標準化、工業化、規模化。其主打產品包括多款輕食沙拉，例如蜜汁雞胸肉穀物沙拉、繽紛海藻果蔬沙拉，以及咖喱雞扒飯、黑椒牛肉烤意麵等中式餐品，SKU超過300個，每周還有2至3款新品上線。這種“餐飲預製+AI無人貨櫃+自助取餐購買”的模式，曾吸引了大量資本的關注。

在資本加持下，沙拉食刻迅速擴張。2023年12月，公司獲得不惑創投A輪一億元戰略融資；2024年，又獲得梅花創投A+輪5000萬元注資。在營銷方面，公司重金邀請周杰倫擔任品牌首席代言人，並錄製了專屬宣傳歌曲，廣告中唱到“點餐時刻，上，不只有沙拉”，進一步強化了品牌健康、智能的形象。創始人邱遠生曾雄心勃勃地規劃：五年內投放10萬台AI無人售餐機，單日為1000萬人提供就餐服務。截至2025年4月，沙拉食刻已在廣州、深圳、東莞及上海鋪設超過2000台智能快餐售賣機。

然而，這座看似堅固的商業大廈從2025年3月起開始系統性崩塌。崩塌的信號首先是多方維權頻發：加盟商追討欠款、員工討薪、消費者要求退款。社交平台上，有關欠薪的帖子比比皆是，有自稱員工的網友表示：“已被拖欠三個月工資，每次詢問都被告知‘沒錢再等等’”，還有人反映：“九個月了，工資還沒要回來”，“兼職六個月，一分錢沒發”。加盟商同樣面臨困境，包括銀行分成未按時到账或拖欠多月，甚至涉及違約金難以追討。消費者的權益也受到損害，有人抱怨：“樓下裝機後充值一段時間，5月被告知機子壞了，要求退款卻只退了充值贈送的金額，完全無法接受。”

沙拉食刻的崩盤，表面上是資金鏈斷裂和經營不善，但深層原因則可能涉及加盟模式的失控與商業模式本身的缺陷。AI無人貨櫃雖具科技感，但對於實際餐飲供應鏈、產品品質控制以及加盟商運營管理等環節，仍存在巨大挑戰。一旦資金鏈斷裂或管理失序，整個系統就容易出現連鎖崩塌。從高光時刻的周杰倫代言與億元融資，到如今智能柜全面停擺、創始人被追債，沙拉食刻的故事成為了資本、科技與餐飲結合模式中典型的“高光到崩盤”的案例，也為行業敲響了警鐘。

Salad Time, once a standout brand in the healthy fast-food sector thanks to its combination of AI-powered unmanned vending machines and fresh, ready-to-eat meals, is now facing a complete collapse. What was once considered a star project in the light-meal industry has rapidly fallen into a storm of public scrutiny and social media criticism, shocking many observers.

The company, officially named Salad Time (Guangdong) Food Technology Co., Ltd., was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in Dongguan, Guangdong Province. The brand sought to standardize, industrialize, and scale fresh fast food through a system of AI vending machines paired with cold-chain logistics. Its product lineup included various light salads—such as honey-glazed chicken breast grain salad and colorful seaweed and vegetable salad—as well as Chinese-style meals like curry chicken rice and black pepper beef baked pasta. With over 300 SKUs and 2–3 new items launched weekly, the “pre-prepared meals + AI unmanned vending + self-service pickup” model initially attracted significant investor attention.

Backed by capital, Salad Time expanded rapidly. In December 2023, the company secured 100 million RMB in Series A strategic funding from Buhuo Capital, followed by 50 million RMB in Series A+ funding from Meihua Capital in 2024. To boost marketing, the brand heavily invested in celebrity endorsement, bringing in Jay Chou as the chief brand ambassador and producing a dedicated promotional song emphasizing convenience and health. Founder Qiu Yuansheng ambitiously projected that within five years, the company would deploy 100,000 AI vending machines, serving 10 million customers daily. By April 2025, over 2,000 smart meal vending machines had been installed in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Shanghai.

However, what seemed like a solid business empire began to unravel systematically in March 2025. Early warning signs included mounting complaints and claims: franchisees demanding repayments, employees seeking unpaid wages, and customers requesting refunds. Social media platforms were flooded with posts about wage arrears. Some self-identified employees reported, “Three months of wages have been withheld, and each inquiry is met with ‘wait until we have funds’,” while others noted, “Nine months and still no pay” or “Six months of part-time work, not a single cent received.” Franchisees also faced difficulties receiving their bank shares or penalty payments, with some owed funds for several months. Consumers were likewise affected; one complaint read, “After the machine was installed downstairs, I topped up my account, but in May was told the machine was broken. When I requested a refund, only the bonus funds were returned, which is unacceptable.”

The collapse of Salad Time appears on the surface to be a result of financial mismanagement and operational failures, but deeper causes likely include a lack of control over the franchise model and inherent flaws in the business model itself. While AI vending machines offered technological appeal, the system faced challenges in supply chain management, product quality control, and franchisee operations. Once financial stress or management issues emerged, the entire structure was prone to a domino-like collapse.

From the brand’s high point—with Jay Chou endorsements and multi-million-yuan funding rounds—to the present situation of idle vending machines and the founder being pursued for debt, Salad Time has become a textbook case of a rapid rise and dramatic fall in the intersection of capital, technology, and the food industry, serving as a cautionary tale for similar ventures.