If a drone can deliver me a pizza, count me in.
Have you seen the movie “Ready Player One?” There’s an epic pizza delivery drone scene.
Or what about the real robot vehicle from Domino’s Pizza, seen in the news in Houston?
Are pizza and innovation linked at the hip? Why is pizza at the forefront of technology?
The Pizza technology revolution has been in full swing here in Florida and just like elections, college football: Cali, Texas and Florida lead the nation in all areas; including the number of traditional pizza establishments.
Texas may have the mobile pizza robot, but do they have a pizza ATM? There is a kiosk setup that looks like an ATM machine in St. Petersburg where you can pick up a pizza in less than 5 minutes without any human interaction.
Ferg’s is an amazing sports bar for pre and post baseball as it is right next to Tropicana Field. Her website shows that longtime Southern Rock sensations Jupiter Coyote played there last night. I have been a fan of Matt Mayes and their band since I first saw them at Rickenbacker’s in Gainesville around 1993.
But this isn’t a music column, the focus is on pizza and Ferg’s has to get pizza ready to roar 24/7 through this new ATM. They also have a kitchen, but the owner’s plan is that this machine will complement their existing kitchen service. At the same time, offer an automated lunch to go after hours while creating a new revenue stream.
There is also one of these machines on campus at the University of North Florida.
Where do they come from? Who is behind this trend that one would assume is going to catch on more and more?
The team at Pizza ATM, LLC is the manufacturer of this technology and can help you from start to finish with setup, installation and training on how to run it. They are in Cincinnati, Ohio, and have been in business for over 20 years.
They’re not the only company in this space, there’s also a Toronto outfit called PizzaForno doing the same thing. For anyone considering this type of investment, the sticker shock is intense—with a price tag north of $70,000—but Pizza ATM offers financing and claims a quick ROI.
When I think about this amazing service, I hear the words in my head being spoken in “Arrested Development” … there’s always money at the banana stand (or Pizza ATM). I mean you upload it and the pizza literally sells itself.
Let’s not forget the big picture historical relationship of pizza and innovation. Pizza was delivered to our homes years before delivery became the norm (see comment above that pizza and innovation are relatives) and no one led the charge better than Domino’s.
Thirty minutes or less? They invented that. That whole marketing plan was a game changer.
Domino’s is once again at the forefront of introducing an autonomous vehicle in Houston last year powered by a company called Nuro.
In 2022, they are also continuing their plans for a drone service (not just in movies!)
Domino’s would still be my personal favorite of the franchises out there, but one can’t beat Midtown / Gaines Street Pies in Tallahassee when pizza night (or day) rolls around.
Pizza may have been at the forefront of technology all these years because it was easy to package and easy to carry for the consumer.
Pizza originated in Naples, Italy, as street food for the poor (according to the story). Speaking of Italians, according to CNN, they’re not enjoying their ATM Pizza revolution very much. Maybe they’re pizza snobs? But aren’t we all?
I guess for Floridians ATM pot roast or clam chowder is out of the question, so pizza it is.
While picturing the clam chowder machine, I have a picture of the 76′ Bass-o-Matic (for all the old school SNL fans).
The coming months and years will tell the story of where and when this technology goes next, and if a drone can deliver me a pizza, you can count me in.
Or maybe I’ll put a pizza vending machine in my garage and be the envy of the neighborhood.
Blake Dowling is the CEO of Aegis Business Technologies, and can be reached at [email protected]. His wife Jeanne names pizza as her #1 food, so we dedicate this column to her.
