Federal Donuts Comfort food made by a cold, calculating machine

Robots have always represented the future, the potential of technology, and man's ability to create just about anything, except a sequel starring a sentient robot that Steve Guttenberg wasn't just tooooo good for all of a sudden. What happened to you, Goot? What happened. And now they're making something you'll want at least 5 of, Johnny, at Federal Donuts.

FD's a fried chicken and donut shop set up in South Philly by the guys involved in Percy Street, Zahav, and BOHDi Coffee, with a rim of wood counters and comfy hinged stools surrounding a room-swallowing kitchen rigged up with a -- get ready -- "Donut Robot", a mechanical monster that'll handle all the dough dispensing, frying, and flipping, a surprising venture given the overall decrease in flipping in this bear(claw) market. Thick cake-style 'nuts can either be rolled in standard sugar or cocoa, plus seasoned sugar blends like chile-lime or vanilla-lavender, or be filled with goodies like vanilla-cardamom custard or blood orange cream, all before getting topped with glazes like coconut-pineapple or a mix of tahini, pomegranate, and Nutella, plus seasonal offerings like...um, HAVE YOU HEARD THAT THESE THINGS ARE MADE BY FREAKIN' ROBOTS? Because donuts alone can only get a man so fat, they're slinging whole and half fried birds (with a couple of donuts, naturally) prepped either Korean-style with honey-ginger or chile-garlic glazes, or crispy-style: traditional fowl dusted with seasoning salts like Za'atar or Buttermilk Ranch, also a vacation spot where Andy Reid likes to spend his poorly managed free time.

Coffee guys being involved, FD'll be bagging up its own blend of Kansas-sourced PT's beans, so you can break out that most famous piece of technology named Mr. Roboto Coffee.