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'Gourmet' pizza vending machines roll out after $10M funding round

Basil Street's gourmet pizza vending machine (photo provided).

March 6, 2020

A new edition to the pizza vending machine market is being launched this week, this one emphasizing that the machine provides consumers with "truly gourmet pizza," according to a news release. The vending machine company behind the innovation, Basil Street, said it has closed a $10 million round of funding, setting the stage for a multi-city pilot roll out that will launch next month in the U.S. 

Basil Street said that the machines use robotics and a new kind of cooking process to convert fresh ingredients into pizzas that are of better quality than those currently being offered through pizza vending machines. 

"After three years of perfecting the process to deliver unmatched brick-oven style gourmet pizza through the convenience of a stand-alone vending machine, we are excited about the next step to bring this unique proprietary concept, and more importantly, great-tasting pizza, to market," said Deglin Kenealy, CEO of Basil Street, in the release. "This round of funding enables us to kick-off our pilot program next month with the hopes of escalating into a full-scale launch of our kiosks by the end of Q3 in 2020. In a time of robotic solutions, this one is truly revolutionary."

The company said it has received numerous requests by interested parties who wish to take part in the pilot program, including corporations, health care facilities,  universities, military bases and sporting arenas nationally. A pair of the machines will also go to an unnamed Basil Street partner, identified only as "one of the world's largest food and beverage manufacturers."  

Though pilot locations are still in the confirmation process, they include Texas, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina and Southern California, where Basil Street is headquartered. 

Machines offer a trio of 10-inch thin crust pizzas, including four-cheese, pepperoni and a "Pizza of the Month." The pies range in cost from $6.95-$11.95. 

All pies used in the machine are made fresh, then flash-frozen before they are cooked when ordered in about three minutes via a three-element, non-microwave speed oven, which the company said creates a pie that "rivals a high-end brick oven pizzeria."

Machines are stocked weekly, according to the company.