It seems like AI is coming for all of us. Hearkening back to factories automating manual labour and killing off plenty of blue collar jobs, the AI revolution seems like it’s largely coming for the white collar ones.
That said, it seems no job is truly safe from the rise of AI. With one pizza chain’s announcement that it’s moving to a fully-autonomous setup, it’s tough to think of work that might evade being taken over by the machines over the next few years.
Donatos Pizza, an Ohio-based chain with stores across 12 US states, has just announced that it’s opening the first fully-automated pizza restaurant in June 2025.
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The robot-powered restaurant is the work of Donatos, sister company Agápe Automation, and Appletronix and will be opened at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport. There, it will serve fresh pizzas to order with little to no human input.
It will be open 24/7 and promises ‘an efficient experience for customers’ from order to service. Customers can even watch their pizzas being made in real time.
"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, president and CEO of Donatos Pizza in a press release.
"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."
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Nipun Sharma, co-founder and CEO of Appetronix, added: "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.
"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."
As a first-of-its-kind pizzeria, its opening is a bit of a coup for John Glenn International.
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Joseph R. Nardone, president and CEO of John Glenn International’s operator, Columbus Regional Airport Authority, said:
"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.
"This cutting-edge technology will provide travelers with a quick and convenient taste of a beloved local favorite."
We’ll await the first customer reviews to see whether these pizzas hit the spot. As with so many crafts, the human touch can make all the difference, but perhaps this is another insight into the tech-powered utopia we might land upon in the near-future.
Rachael Davis