A number of Love’s Travel Shops will soon be outfitted with robotic smoothie kiosks that were made by food automation company Blendid and juice and smoothie mega brand Jamba. The first Jamba by Blendid kiosk will be piloted at a Love’s Travel Stop that will open this summer in Williams, Calif., just outside of Sacramento.
With more than 590 locations in 41 states, Love's Travel Stops said it provides professional drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, compressed natural gas (CNG), travel items, electronics, snacks, restaurant offerings, and more from coast to coast. The company was founded in 1964 and is based in Oklahoma City.
“We’re thrilled to be able to offer our guests a new way to enjoy delicious food on the go,” said Joe Cotton, vice president of food services at Love’s Travel Stops. “Jamba by Blendid will give customers another option to get refreshing food at select locations in California
Jamba by Blendid kiosks use Blendid’s contactless foodOS food automation platform, a patented machine learning, robotics, and artificial intelligence-enabled system. It provides motorists with accessible, nutritious options made on demand and customized to meet individual preferences at any time of day, said the companies.
Blendid on the rise
Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Blendid has raised more $20 million to date from a mix of venture and crowdfunding investors. It is currently raising its Series B investment round. The company was founded in 2015, and its first project is a smoothie kiosk that it launched in 2019. Blendid said its mission is to serve a complete array of healthy, affordable foods using robotics.
The company's smoothie blends are made by chef Kristen Rasmussen, an adjunct faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley, who teaches food science, food service and human food practices.
Some flavors include PB Chocolicious, Mango Lemon Cruch, and Banana Oat Spice.
“Our robotic smoothie kiosks are helping leaders across the hospitality industry meet the rising demand for fresh food options—delivering the fast, customizable and nutritious food choices that consumers crave, where and when they need it,” said Vipin Jain, co-founder and CEO of Blendid.
“It is exciting to see more opportunities for Jamba by Blendid kiosks to expand across retail properties, college campuses, and now along highways and major thoroughfares across the country in the years ahead,” Jain added.
“Jamba is thrilled to be expanding Jamba by Blendid kiosks into the travel stop industry with Love’s,” said Geoff Henry, president of Jamba. “Making Jamba-inspired smoothies readily available in this new vertical allows us to meet our guests seeking freshly made, wholesome smoothies even when they are on the road.”
Atlanta-based Jamba has more than 850 locations operating in 36 U.S. states, as well as the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, and Japan.
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