Robots make deliveries at Loyola Marymount U's Los Angeles campus
Source Sodexo SA
Loyola Marymount University, California, and LMU Dining and Kiwibot have partnered to deliver hot, fresh meals anywhere on the Los Angeles campus by way of a dozen zero-emission robots. Since launching a trial run in September, more than 500 deliveries have been completed across campus.
Through the Sodexo Bite U app, Loyola Marymount students, faculty and visitors can order from two Sodexo-serviced campus locations, including Qdoba and Iggy’s Café using their meal plan dollars. The program will expand to additional locations in Spring 2022.
“We’re always looking for fun, innovative and eco-friendly food service programs to add to the LMU dining experience, and this partnership with Sodexo and Kiwibot is a perfect example of that,” said Andrew O’Reilly, senior director of auxiliary and business services at Loyola Marymount University.
“Our partnership with Kiwibot offers another safe, convenient option for users to get what they want, when they want it,” added Anca Reyes CDM, CFPP, resident district manager for LMU Dining by Sodexo.
How Kiwibot works
Kiwibot robots deliver fresh food via locked compartments that only the recipient can open through the Kiwibot app. Each robot is thoroughly sanitized between deliveries, and average deliveries will arrive in 20 minutes to 35 minutes, depending on distance and peak meal delivery times. Each delivery will cost $2, plus 10% of the order size. Deliveries can only be ordered via the Bite U app, and Kiwibot delivery hours are dependent upon regular Sodexo location business hours.
Based in Los Angeles, Kiwibot currently operates at more than seven locations around the world, including: campuses and cities in California, Florida, Pittsburgh and Michigan.
Loyola Marymount University is an elite top-ranked national university by U.S. News and World Report, which places LMU among the top five Jesuit universities in the country and in the top six private universities in California. Founded in 1911, LMU is a Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount university with more than 6,500 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate and law students.
