A Los Angeles startup is aiming to bring its pizza vending machine to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Basil Street Cafe is partnering with Prepango, which specializes in bringing automated retail, food and beverage in airports, to expand its reach. As a result, Basil Street is in talks to add its pizza vending machines in airports where Prepango has existing contracts, including CVG, according to a release.
“We are actively talking with Prepango about a potential partnership at CVG. Our goal is to further diversify concession offerings available to our travelers," CVG spokeswoman Mindy Kershner said in a statement.
Basil Street’s machines use robotics technology to offer three types of 10-inch, thin-crust pizza: four-cheese, pepperoni and a "Pizza of the Month" selling between $12.95 and $14.95 each.
The company said its pizzas are made with fresh ingredients and then flash frozen to preserve the flavor and freshness before being cooked-to-order in about three minutes. The cooking process uses a patented three-element non-microwave speed oven.
Last year, the company raised $10 million to fund its nationwide expansion. Basil Street is currently trying to crowdfund a $20 million Series B round.
"We are thrilled to partner with Prepango, an expert in the field of automated solutions with a strong focus on airports, to help us feed the masses no matter the time constraints inherent within travel," Basil Street CEO Deglin Kenealy said in a statement. "Through their expertise, we are proud to have begun expanding our portfolio with potentially 200 airport APKs being placed over the next 12-18 months."
