White Castle launches automated Slider kiosk at Fort Myers airport
White Castle has installed a fully automated Slider kiosk at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, giving travelers access to hot, ready-to-eat sandwiches on demand in the airport’s renovated terminal food court.
The kiosk is part of a partnership with Just Baked, the automated hot-food kiosk company, and Evolvending, an operator of automated dining solutions in travel hubs. The companies said the RSW launch reflects the airport food court’s move toward a vending-focused dining model to serve travelers in a high traffic environment.
Why this matters
For convenience services operators, this rollout is a clear example of how a national restaurant brand can enter an airport or other high traffic locations using unattended retail technology. Through its partnership with Just Baked and operator Evolvending, White Castle can sell hot food with a smaller footprint and less labor.
Evolvending, which operates automated dining solutions in travel hubs, is working with Just Baked to expand the White Castle kiosk program into additional airports, signaling that this is a growth strategy, not a one-off installation.
For operators, several practical takeaways stand out:
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Branded partnerships drive traffic. Well-known food brands can attract travelers in busy venues like airports. For operators like Evolvending, which focuses on delivering hot, ready-to-eat meals in transportation environments, partnering to offer proven menu items helps ensure high sales without developing their own food concept.
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Hot food is viable in unattended retail. Today’s kiosk technology can quickly heat and vend restaurant-branded products. While many workplaces may not have the traffic to support hot-food kiosks, operators should stay alert for opportunities to offer higher ticket items beyond snacks and beverages.
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Airports are leaning into automation. As terminals redesign food courts for speed and labor efficiency, unattended and automated formats are becoming a larger part of the mix — creating new opportunities for operators positioned to deliver them.
The automated kiosk offers a curated menu of White Castle retail Sliders, including the Original Slider, Classic Cheese Sliders, the Cheddar Bacon Cheese Slider, and the Chicken and Cheese Slider. Orders are prepared hot with minimal wait.
Sarah Paulson, White Castle’s director of retail marketing, innovation and licensing, said the kiosk format is designed to match airport needs for speed and reliability while delivering the brand’s Slider offerings through automation. Valentina Ellison, CEO of Evolvending, said the RSW location highlights automation’s role in delivering restaurant-quality food in airport settings.
White Castle said it also operates an automated kiosk at Boston Logan International Airport and plans to expand to additional U.S. airports.
About the Author
Linda Becker
Editor-in-Chief
Linda Becker is editor-in-chief of Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch.com. She has more than 20 years of experience in B2B publishing, writing, editing and producing content for magazines, websites, webinars, podcasts, newsletters and eBooks, primarily for manufacturing and process engineering audiences. Since joining Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch.com, Linda has developed a new appreciation for the convenience services industry and the essential role it plays. She is dedicated to serving readers by covering the latest news in the vending, office coffee service and micro market industry. She can be reached at 262-203-9924 or [email protected].