You can get pizza at plenty of airports. But it’s rare to find a robot making your pizza pie.
Donatos Pizza debuted a new ‘autonomous kitchen’ in Ohio’s John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) where a robot is on duty 24-hours a day preparing made-to-order pizzas.
Located pre-security, by Hangar 815 in front of Concourse B, the robotic pizza restaurant has a small footprint and a short menu that includes a 10″ cheese pizza or 10″ pepperoni pizza.
Price: $11.59. No tipping required.
There’s a new robot in town… and it makes pizza. 🍕🤖@Donatos just launched its first fully autonomous restaurant right here at CMH! You’ll find it pre-security by Hangar 815 — and yes, you can watch your pizza being made in real time.
— John Glenn Intl Airport (@columbusairport) June 9, 2025
The Donato’s Pizza robot at John Glenn International Airport is cool and new.
But it’s not the only pizza-making machine in an airport.
At Detroit-Metropolitan Airport (DTW) a ZaBot Pizza Robot machine staffed by robots Rosa and Enzo heats up personal pizzas around-the-clock.
Look for this machine in the Coca Cola room by Gate A36.
Elsewhere: cows at San Antonio Int’l Airport + cool art at Long Beach Airport
#CowParade2025 has MOOOved into SAT! 🐄🎨 We're excited to have 3 painted cows at our airport before they're auctioned off to benefit @CHRISTUSHealth in September.
MEET THE COWS! 🐮✨ -Stampede, Chris Celusniak -Good MOOd, Allison Gregory -Love Note to the Nations, Ashley Rogers pic.twitter.com/3XyKydjSqY
— San Antonio International Airport (@SATairport) June 10, 2025
Have you checked out our video wall? 🎨
Our wrap-around digital wall at baggage claim displays artistic videos including the latest installation: Impressions of Travel.
Philadelphia is famous for cheesesteak sandwiches. And Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is marking National Cheesesteak Day, March 24, with a full week of cheesesteak events and specials in the terminals.
From Monday, March 24, through Sunday, March 30, passengers traveling through the airport will find exclusive offers, cheesesteak-inspired events and, of course, Philadelphia cheesesteaks.
Passengers will find free events 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the connector space between Terminals B and C.
Look for free samples of Pepsi Zero and Frito Lay, entertainment, a photo booth and assorted giveaways as well as a Cheesesteak Topping Bars (from noon to 1 p.m.) at Chickie & Pete’s, Cibo Bistro & Wine Bar and Passyunk Steaks.
From Monday, March 24 to Friday, March 28, use code PHLSTEAK to get 25% off one order at participating locations offering online mobile ordering through OrderAtPHL. (That code should work whether or not you’re ordering a cheesesteak.)
Weeklong Specialty Cheesesteak Creations & Meal Deals — March 24 to 30
Multiple PHL restaurants are serving up specialty cheesesteaks, including:
Bud & Marilyn’s: Shawarma cheesesteak — shawarma-spiced, marinated sliced ribeye steak on pita bread from Angel Bakeries, served with a cherry pepper tzatziki sauce
Chickie’s & Pete’s: Salmon cheesesteak with leaf lettuce, American cheese and mild pico de gallo
Passyunk Steaks: Salmon cheesesteak with spinach, red onions, roasted red peppers, and spicy mayo and lemon pepper cheesesteak — chopped prime ribeye steak with cheese, seasoned with lemon pepper
Tagliare: Pizza cheesesteak — sliced prime ribeye steak chopped with marinara sauce and mozzarella
Not passing through PHL airport during Cheesesteak Week? Don’t worry. You’ll find cheesesteaks and cheesesteak-inspired bits at these PHL food outlets year-round.
Bar Symon: Cheesesteak — sautéed, with provolone, mushrooms and onions
Chickie’s & Pete’s: Cheesesteak eggrolls, cheesesteak nachos and more
Geno’s Steaks: Pizza, mushroom and regular cheesesteak
Jack Duggan’s Pub & Restaurant: Cheesesteak eggrolls, chicken cheesesteak and more
Jim’s South St.: Chicken cheesesteak, veggie cheesesteak and more
Local Tavern: Classic cheesesteak
LOVE Grille: Beef, chicken and cauliflower cheesesteak
Noobar: Philly cheesesteak dumplings
Passyunk Steaks: Various cheesesteaks (onion, pizza, veggie and more)
Philly Pretzel Factory: Cheesesteak Rivets
Sabrina’s Cafe: Veggie Philly cheesesteak — seitan with sautéed onions and long hots
Subway: Philly and classic cheesesteak
Tony Luke’s: Various cheesesteaks (beef, chicken, veggie and more)
The Stuck at the Airport food team was on hand at the recent opening celebration for several new concessions at Denver International Airport (DEN) out by Gate C64: ChoLon Modern Asian, Marczyk Fine Foods and Teatulia Tea & Coffee Bar.
All three offer great food and drink options, but we were charmed by the split-flap display board at Marczyk and some of the gourmet market items on the shop’s shelves.
Marczyk Fine Foods is a Denver-based specialty market and deli known for its farm-fresh produce, gourmet products and high-quality meats. Their new DEN outpost has a great selection of grab-and-go items, as well as fresh sandwiches, salads and snacks. Wine and beer are served in the sit-down area of the market.
The flip board over the deli counter not only welcomes passengers but is also loaded with some (corny) jokes; “because what harried parent doesn’t appreciate something to entertain kids when the plane is delayed?,” says Barbara Macfarlane, one of Marczyk’s founders.
Why do elephants paint their toenails red? (flip flip flip)
To hide in cherry trees. (flip flip flip)
Ever seen an elephant in a cherry tree? (flip flip flip)
See it works! (flip flip flip)
And why are elephants’ feet flat? (flip flip flip)
From jumping out of cherry trees!
Bonus foods to buy at DEN’s Marczyk shop
In addition to the fresh deli sandwiches you can order at Marczyk Fine Foods, there are shelves filled with gourmet items to eat right away or take home. We spotted gourmet coffee, roasted peanuts, marinara sauce and both olive oil and balsamic vinegar in lovely gift-worthy containers.
Located in Terminal B, across from Gate 19, the restaurant is serving up a Signature Mac along with a wide variety of customizable mac and cheese dishes with cheddar cheese sauce, 5-cheese white sauce, grilled chicken, smoked bacon, and BBQ pulled pork.
The menu also includes Grilled Mac + Cheese Sandwiches, Breakfast Mac + Cheese Burritos, and a full bar.
First, we spotted these very comfy chairs right by the baggage claim carousels.
Then, once through security, we made our way down a hallway filled with useful – and tempting – vending machines.
We’ve seen the Fuel Rod machine that dispenses handy fully-charged chargers in quite a few airports. But the machine that’s ” a carwash for glasses and jewelry,” and the one that dispenses tins filled with licorice aren’t as common. Yet.
And how’s this for service?
We saw a gate agent sprint off towards the security checkpoint and wondered what was up. In just a few minutes she came running back with a young man in tow who would have missed his flight had she not rushed over and hustled him to the front of the security checkpoint line.
Cool New Kids’ Play Area at Portland International Airport
The family travel team at Stuck at the Airport knows that traveling with kids can be trying.
That’s why we’re delighted to see airports adding or refreshing play areas with creative and engaging features.
The latest on the scene is at Portland International Airport (PDX). There, the Tillamook County Creamery Association has created a cool new kids’ play area on Concourse E.
The 600-square-foot space has steps, slides, and a flying van designed with children ages 3 to 8 – and people of all abilities – in mind. The bouncy flooring is made from post-consumer recycled materials and the mural on the wall is by illustrator Josephine Rais.
The Tillamook Market, also on Concourse E, serves up meals made with Tillamook’s famous cheese and other locally-sourced ingredients, scoops of Tillamook ice cream, exclusive branded merch, and grab-and-go favorites including famous Tillamook Cheese Curds.
Freshful Fridge at Santa Barbara Airport
Stuck at the Airport is 100% in favor of healthy food options at all airports.
And we’re big fans of the Farmer’s Fridge salad vending machines offering fresh meals at more than 20 airports.
The trend is growing.
Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) has a new Freshful Fridge vending machine filled with locally-sourced snacks, salads, and beverages. Look for it in the SBA baggage claim area on the first floor.
Something fresh has arrived! SBA is excited to announce the opening of Freshful Fridge.
Freshful Fridge is a smart fridge that offers snacks, salads, and beverages that are all fresh, locally sourced, and delicious. Check it out in the baggage claim area on the first floor! pic.twitter.com/k4t7EsRKoc
For a while now, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) has been placing caps on the number of departing passengers and flights. The action is an effort to deal with staff shortages that are causing long lines, canceled flights, and giant baggage backups.
KLM, Schiphol’s biggest customer, and a handful of other airlines aren’t happy about those flight caps and have filed a suit against Schiphol.
Beginning “no later than 2025 – 26,” Schiphol will ban aircraft takeoffs between midnight and 6 am and all aircraft landings between midnight and 5 am.
Private jets and the noisiest airplanes will no longer be welcome at Schiphol. And plans for an additional runway are being scrapped.
“ We need to be sustainable for our employees, the local environment, and the world,” said Ruud Sondag, Royal Schiphol Group CEO. “I realize that our choices may have significant implications for the aviation industry, but they are necessary. This shows we mean business.”
KLM said in a statement that while it believes “operations should be in balance with our surroundings and the climate,” the airline is “astonished” that Schiphol is “unilaterally putting forward proposals that will have far-reaching consequences for airlines, without involving the industry parties in this process.”
Instead, KLM said, it would prefer “to work with the rest of the aviation industry on developing further measures to reduce CO2 emissions and noise pollution.”
Like all airports, London’s Heathrow Airport is very busy for the holidays, with more than three million travelers expected to pass through the terminals in just the last two weeks of December.
But unlike all airports, Heathrow is passing out thousands of gifts to passengers to help them on their merry way.
Throughout December, Heathrow’s team of ‘Little Here to Helpers’ are handing out 10,000 gifts across all four terminals. The gifts are provided by airport tenants, including airlines, shops, bars, and restaurants, and include everything from free flights and lounge access to Chanel perfumes, Pret breakfasts, and designer makeup from World Duty Free.
Want a gift? If you’re traveling through Heathrow look for the smiling folks in Santa hats hanging out near one of the 25 Christmas trees spread across the terminals. Not everyone will get a free gift, of course, but if you head that way, you’ll increase your chances.
Let us know if you score.
But wait, there’s more!
Heathrow also has an advent calendar on its website and on its app. Behind the windows, you’ll find discounts from Heathrow shops, bonus points from Heathrow Rewards, World Duty Free promotions, and deals on festive-inspired food and beverage menus.
Kids Eat Free
Airport meals can get expensive. And if you’re traveling with kids you’ll have to feed them too.
So it’s nice to know that Heathrow’s Kids Eat Free program is still in force.
Through January 3, 2023 participating restaurants at Heathrow Airport will offer once free child’s meal with each adult meal purchased, with a limit of four free kids meals.
This is a great airport amenity and is available during school holidays.
If you’re a fan of Portland-based Voodoo Doughnuts, you know what’s up when you spot people flying with a pink box carefully balanced on their laps.
And if you just love the idea of having a decadent doughnut as a treat when you travel, you’re in luck.
Voodoo Doughnuts has opened its first airport location. And it is at Denver International Airport (DEN) on the Concourse B mezzanine.
Voodoo Doughnuts is credited with creating the gourmet doughnut category way back in 2003 with doughnuts such as the Bacon Maple Bar, a Voodoo Doll doughnut, a doughnut made with Captain Crunch cereal, a Dirt Doughnut, and the Pepto Bismol Doughnut – which the FDA nixed.
Voodoo Doughnut now offers more than 50, often outrageous, doughnut creations in locations in Oregon, Texas, Colorado, at Hollywood’s Universal City Walk and Orlando Universal Walk.
Fans of the doughnuts often bring pink doughnut-filled boxes of these treats with them as gifts when they travel, And they have to figure out how to get them through airport security.
Now there’s the option of indulging in a Voodoo Doughnut or buying a box to go at Denver Int’l Airport. To celebrate, the opening of this first airport location, a planeload of United Airlines passengers was treated to a doughnut festival.
Did you know? Before Coors was available nationwide, the Rocky Mountain beer was so beloved by President Gerald R. Ford that his crew loaded it onto Air Force One and hauled cases back to Washington after their trips out west. #AviationDay2022pic.twitter.com/sAm3Cbsj4k
This morning we celebrated Through Our Eyes, a #PHLAirport art exhibition that displays the works of participants from the Philadelphia Autism Project. Today included remarks from Councilmember Derek Green and light refreshments. Check out the exhibit in A-East Baggage Claim. 🎨 pic.twitter.com/vZu0uVjo7R
Whether you’re waiting for a flight or here for a date night, the Phoenix Airport Museum has FREE art guides available to self-tour art and exhibitions. The guides are available on https://t.co/wy4v0PxEK2 and QR codes around the Airport.
You’ve no doubt heard or read stories about how crowded airports are right now and the long lines at security checkpoints, and at airport coffee shops and restaurants.
Now HMSHost, which operates food and beverage outlets at more than 120 airports, is using technology to ease the hassle of sitting down for an airport meal.
The company is partnering with restaurant platform OpenTable to power virtual waitlists at over a dozen HMSHost airport restaurant locations in 7 airports nationwide.
At participating restaurants, guests can join the waitlist online via QR Codes or in person with the host. Diners will be notified via SMS text message when their table is ready.
Up next, the partnership will enable reservations in advance, with the goal or making airport dining part of the travel booking process.
The smart-tech refrigerated vending units are filled with fresh salads, meal bowls, and healthy snacks in jars that can be returned to the machines for recycling.
We've expanded our award-winning concession program with the debut of @FarmersFridge an innovative vending machine brand that sells fresh & healthy meal options!
At MSP, you’ll find seven vending machines in Terminal 1, with locations in the Main Mall Food Court, and near gates F8, E12, C7, C10, C18. Additional machines are in baggage claim near Carousel 6 and in T2 near gate H10.
You’ll find Farmer’s Fridge vending machines at other airports too. Multiple machines are located at JFK Airport (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Philadephia International Airport (PHL) and O’Hare (ORD).
Indianapolis International Airport (IND), Milwaukee Mitchell Airport (MKE), Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) have Farmer’s Fridge vending machines too.
Farmers Fridge also has an app to help you find vending machine locations in airports and out in the world at hospitals, office buildings, universities, and other locations.
