Basil Street plans to put up to 200 pizza robots in U.S. airports

Basil Street is ready for takeoff.

The company has a deal to put its automated pizza kiosks in U.S. airports, aiming to offer travelers around-the-clock access to pizza.

To make it happen, Los Angeles-based Basil Street is partnering with Prepango, a vending company with a focus on airports. The first kiosk will be installed at San Antonio International Airport in the coming weeks, followed by other sites where Prepango has contracts, including Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Cincinnati/North Kentucky International Airport and Indianapolis International Airport.

The deal could lead to as many as 200 airport Basil Streets over the next 12 to 18 months, said CEO Deglin Kenealy in a statement. The company also plans to put units in universities, factories and office buildings.

The company's 22-square-foot "automated pizza kitchens" can cook its frozen, 10-inch pies in about three minutes. To order, customers scan a QR code with their phone, pick their pizza, pay, and wait for the pie to pop out. Each kiosk will have three pizza options—four-cheese, pepperoni and a rotating pizza of the month—for $12.95 to $14.95. 

Founded in 2016, Basil Street recently received key certifications from NSF and Underwriter Laboratories that paved the way for broader expansion, including the Prepango agreement.