Appetronix, Agápe Automation, Donatos Pizza to open Columbus airport restaurant

Robotic food and beverage systems provider Appetronix recently partnered with Donatos Pizza and its sister company Agápe Automation to open Donatos’ first fully-autonomous pizza restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. 

The new fully-automated restaurant will be located before security in front of Concourse B at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport and will be operated by restaurateur HMS Host. The new autonomous kitchen will deliver a fast and delicious made-to-order pizza for travelers. 

“We’re not just adding tech to a restaurant: we’re jumping in with a fully-autonomous restaurant. But, most importantly, we’re going to continue to serve great-tasting, abundantly-topped pizzas and provide a top-notch customer experience that Donatos has always been known for,” said Kevin King, Donatos Pizza president and CEO. “In a busy airport environment, where customers are most focused on catching their flights, we think the vending-machine-style location will be a huge success.” 

The autonomous restaurant is scheduled to open in June and will operate 24/7, deploying robot arms and using data science technologies to enable an efficient experience for customers - from placing orders to receiving their pizzas. The robot also offers an engaging visual experience, allowing customers an inside look at their pizzas being freshly prepared in real time. 

Robotics ensure precision and consistency

The companies said this collaboration will redefine the pizza experience by combining cutting-edge technology with the art of crafting delicious pizzas. 

With a strong commitment to innovation, Donatos Pizza is using advanced robotics to streamline the pizza-making process, ensuring precision, consistency, and faster service while maintaining the premium quality customers love.  

“Donatos’ new fully autonomous restaurant is an exciting addition to John Glenn International, showcasing their commitment to innovation and our shared focus on enhancing the passenger experience,” said Joseph R. Nardone, Columbus Regional Airport Authority president and CEO. “This cutting-edge technology will provide travelers with a quick and convenient taste of a beloved local favorite.”

Scalable AI-powered technology

Donatos said it continues to embrace new technologies that are scalable and redefine how and where high-quality food is served. It said this restaurant will pave the way for more locations to deliver exceptional quality with greater accuracy and speed. 

“Bringing this first-of-its-kind autonomous kitchen to life in collaboration with Donatos has been an extraordinary journey and marks a defining moment for the future of the restaurant industry,” said Nipun Sharma, Appetronix co-founder and CEO. “With our state-of-the-art, AI-powered robotic technology, we're delivering hot, fresh pizza with unprecedented precision and efficiency. This is more than innovation - it’s a transformative leap for the QSR [quick service restaurant] space, setting a new standard for consistency, speed, and customer satisfaction.”

Donatos said this technology has the potential to transform food service anywhere a traditional kitchen may not be feasible, such as in airports, hospitals, college campuses, and industrial environments.

Focusing on serving people

Donatos said this partnership further strengthens its mission to promote goodwill through its products, service, principles, and people. It also promotes CEO King’s recently implemented four-point strategy of focusing on people, innovation, brand relevance, and growth to help create new, innovative ideas that will disrupt the pizza scene.  

“I’m incredibly proud of the innovation my dad, Jim Grote, has championed over the past 62 years,” said Jane Grote Abell, Donatos Pizza executive chairwoman. “It’s in his DNA to constantly seek better ways to deliver the same consistent, high-quality pizza we’ve always served. At Donatos, we believe people are at the heart of innovation - and this fully automated location allows our guests to enjoy Donatos on the run, without sacrificing the experience. More innovation, more passion, and more opportunities to eat great pizza - that’s what this is all about.”

“We work every day to make travelers happier, and we think we’ve delivered on that promise by expanding the pre-security food and beverage amenities and introducing a dining option that will offer travelers and visitors to the airport a high-quality, fast, and filling meal 24/7,” said Tosin Kasali, HMSHost VP of business development. “It’s a wonderful way to enhance our existing restaurant operations. We’re happy to be the concessions operator chosen to bring this technology to John Glenn International.”