White Castle is betting that the future of fast food looks a lot less like a drive-thru line and a lot more like a vending machine that can make four hot sliders in under a minute.
During an appearance on Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria on April 14, White Castle executives showed off a new fully automated “restaurant in a box” kiosk that can heat, cook, and serve the chain’s signature sliders in about 45 seconds.
Host Maria Bartiromo tested the machine live on-air, ordering four sliders before a steaming tray appeared less than a minute later.
“It is a robotic restaurant in a box,” inventor David Chesler said during the segment. “It’s fully automated. No employees. You can have 24/7 great food out of a kiosk.”
The machine is already rolling out in places where hungry people usually do not have time to wait around: Boston Logan Airport, Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, hospitals, medical campuses, casinos, and college campuses.
White Castle says the kiosks keep food refrigerated inside, then heat and serve it on demand. Instead of waiting 30 or 45 minutes for delivery, customers can get White Castle sliders in under a minute.
The company’s new kiosk push is part of a much bigger technology overhaul that has been quietly taking shape for years.
Back in 2020, White Castle became one of the first major fast-food chains to experiment with AI-powered robotics through a partnership with Miso Robotics. That deal introduced Flippy, a robotic fry station assistant that can identify, cook, and drop fries and chicken rings faster than a human worker. White Castle later added Julia, an AI-powered drive-thru voice assistant designed to take orders while employees focus on assembling food.
Those systems are now at the center of White Castle’s “Castle of Tomorrow,” a prototype restaurant that opened in Columbus, Ohio, in late 2025. According to Newsweek, the location features Flippy 2, upgraded self-order kiosks, double drive-thrus, and Julia handling customer orders. The redesigned restaurant also includes a larger, more open interior meant to make the experience feel less like a traditional fast-food stop and more like a tech-powered test kitchen.
Jamie Richardson, White Castle’s vice president, described the Columbus location as a glimpse of where the 104-year-old slider chain is headed.
“Every detail, from the kitchen layout to the mobile ordering experience, was thoughtfully designed to help our team members shine and to make every Craver’s visit more enjoyable and efficient,” Richardson said when the company unveiled the prototype.
Fast-food chains across the country are racing to add more AI to their restaurants as they deal with rising labor costs, staffing shortages, and customers who increasingly prefer self-service.
McDonald’s has been testing AI systems to improve order accuracy. Wendy’s and Carl’s Jr. have added AI drive-thrus.
White Castle, however, is pushing the idea further by turning its restaurants into something closer to an automated network of kiosks and robotic kitchens.
Investor Kevin Harrington, best known for Shark Tank, said that is exactly why he got involved. Opening a traditional restaurant can cost millions. A White Castle kiosk, by comparison, costs about $20,000 to buy or around $500 to $600 a month to lease.
“There are almost 1,000 machines already out there,” Harrington said on Mornings with Maria. “We just signed a deal for 5,000 total White Castle machines.”
