SUNNYVALE, Calif. and Corning, Calif.—Love’s Travel Stops has added a Jamba by Blendid autonomous robotic smoothie kiosk to a second location in Corning, California. The convenience retailer added its first robotic smoothie maker to its Williams, California, store in September.
“We’re excited to build off the success of our first location and look forward to serving professional drivers and four-wheel customers in Corning, California,” said Joe Cotton, vice president of foodservice for Love’s. “The adoption rates of smoothies have been great, which demonstrates the need for refreshing on-the-go food for our customers. We’re proud to offer this service at a second location.”
The self-operating kiosk allows customers to customize their smoothie orders around the clock by adjusting ingredient quantities or adding boosts directly through the Blendid app. They can easily order on-site or schedule a preferred pick-up time in advance when they order on the Blendid app.
“Working with forward-thinking industry leaders like Jamba and Love’s, we are meeting the rising demand for refreshing quick-serve options in a variety of new venue types,” said Vipin Jain, CEO and co-founder of Blendid. “As we continue to scale and set the standard for the future of foodservice, we hope our robotic kiosks can give consumers, including motorists, fast, customizable and delicious food choices at a wide range of new locations across the country.”
Jamba by Blendid kiosks leverage Blendid’s contactless food automation platform foodOS, a patented machine learning, robotics and artificial intelligence-enabled system, to provide customers with easily accessible, refreshing food options made on-demand and customized to meet individual preferences at any time of day.
Jamba by Blendid currently has seven operating kiosk locations in shopping centers, colleges and universities and travel centers.
The NACS Magazine article “Pour Me a Drink” explores the latest beverage foodservice equipment in the c-store industry, including Jamba by Blendid kiosks.
Meanwhile, Thorntons announced the opening of its newest Chicagoland store—and its second location in the Cary community. The company now operates a total of 87 stores in Illinois, 67 of which are in Chicagoland.
This new 5,500 square-foot facility is set on 3.1 acres and features self-checkout, LED lighting, burritos and sandwiches freshly made throughout the day in the store’s on-site kitchen, bean-to-cup coffee, fountain beverages with nugget ice, as well as 20 fueling positions.
When the store opens at 6 a.m. on Friday, November 18, the first 100 customers will receive a free swag bag. There will also be a grand opening celebration from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Event activities include music, games and giveaways.
During the 10 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony, Bob Hammond, vice president of operations, will present Northern Illinois Food Bank with a $2,500 donation as part of Thorntons’ ongoing commitment to help feed the hungry in all of the communities where it operates.