Editor’s Note: Dec. 3, 2025: This piece has been updated with additional details from White Castle.
Dive Brief:
- White Castle has deployed an automated slider kiosk at Boston Logan International Airport, the company said in an emailed press release.
- The automated airport unit was developed in partnership with Just Baked, a food kiosk company, and Evolvending, a vending machine company that works with restaurant brands like California Pizza Kitchen and The Cheesecake Factory, according to its website.
- White Castle has sold sliders from multi-branded kiosks for some time, but the Logan unit is its first exclusively branded kiosk unit, the company confirmed in an email. The chain said it would add more Crave & Go kiosks in other locations by year’s end.
Dive Insight:
White Castle has been quick to test new technology in recent years, deploying different versions of Miso Robotics’ Flippy fry cook and adding robotic delivery in Chicago earlier this year. The chain is also in the process of redesigning its stores to have more tech-forward features, like ordering kiosks and drive-thru AI.
The deployment of the automated airport unit, which the company said can serve fresh sliders within about two minutes of the placement of an order, fits neatly into that tech-forward focus for the chain.
White Castle said the unit serves its 100% beef Original Slider, Classic Cheese Slider, Cheddar Bacon Cheese Slider and the Chicken & Cheese Slider.
The Logan location could be a New England toehold for the burger chain, which lacks a significant restaurant presence in the region according to its store map. The high volume of traffic through the airport should introduce a considerable number of consumers to White Castle’s products.
White Castle is looking to enter new markets, with its first Texas location set to open next year. The Logan location could help lay the consumer awareness groundwork necessary for a regional growth push.
Airports, which offer considerable foot traffic and a large captive audience, are important competitive terrain for brands looking to increase their awareness and their number of consumer touchpoints.
Auntie Anne’s, notably, is using airports to build consumer demand for its streetside unit development. Earlier this year, Wahlburgers pivoted toward airports after losing its partnership with Hy-vee. Donato’s Pizza opened an automated pizza restaurant in an Ohio airport over the summer.
Vending kiosks have obvious drawbacks, menu options are limited compared to full kitchens, volume is restricted by the machine’s speed and output channels. But the technology also has obvious advantages relative to the development and operational costs associated with operating a full restaurant, especially in the airport environment.
