Appetronix brings robotic dining to airports

Appetronix is bringing restaurant automation to airport dining through Donatos by Appetronix, a fully autonomous restaurant operating at John Glenn Columbus International Airport. The concept combines self-service ordering, robotic food preparation and automated pickup to serve travelers without requiring employees to staff an on-site kitchen.

Customers place their orders through a kiosk, after which the automated system prepares their meals and makes them available through heated pickup lockers. The restaurant operates around the clock, providing travelers with another dining option when conventional airport concessions are closed or operating with limited staffing.

The modular restaurant-in-a-box is designed to accommodate other foodservice brands, potentially extending the technology beyond its current Donatos application. By integrating ordering, preparation and fulfillment into a single automated operation, Appetronix demonstrates how robotics can support unattended foodservice in transportation hubs and other high-traffic environments.

These are among the reasons Appetronix was selected as one of 10 Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation (ARKI) Award winners for 2026. The recognition highlights the company's approach to combining restaurant robotics, self-service ordering and automated food fulfillment.

This year's ARKI Award winners will be honored at the upcoming Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show, Dec. 14-16 in Miami Beach, where one of them will be revealed as the 2026 Innovator of the Year