Pizza Chain Fires Up Robots

Donatos Pizza is partnering with foodtech company Appetronix to launch its first fully autonomous restaurant next month.

The robot-driven unit, located in Ohio’s John Glenn Columbus International Airport, will offer made-to-order pizza 24/7.

Kevin King, president and CEO of Donatos Pizza says, “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.”

“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,” says Nipun Sharma, co-founder and CEO of Appetronix. “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 space, setting a new standard for consistency, speed and customer satisfaction.”

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Donatos and its franchisees operate over 175 stores. Donatos Pizza also is served in nearly 300 nontraditional locations nationwide, including select Red Robin units.