24 August 2026 | News
Image Courtesy: Public Domain
Murphy USA (NYSE: MUSA) announced an initial rollout of an emerging autonomous foodservice platform in select larger-format stores, providing customers another convenient way to access hot, branded food during their everyday stop.
The platform, developed by Automated Retail Technologies (ART), will launch featuring White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain. The initiative is grounded in customer insights that continue to highlight demand for convenient, high-quality food options that fit busy schedules, quick trips and on-the-go occasions.
The new offer is designed to meet customers where they already are, whether fueling up, grabbing a drink, or picking up items for the day, while allowing Murphy USA to evaluate how autonomous foodservice can enhance the customer experience within its existing operating model and store footprint.
Building on Murphy USA’s Core Strengths
Murphy USA has built its business by delivering value, convenience and operational excellence through a disciplined, low-cost operating model.
The autonomous foodservice platform complements that model by introducing hot, branded food without the space, labor, infrastructure and complexity associated with a traditional restaurant or full commercial kitchen.
“We’re continually evaluating opportunities that create additional value for our customers while building on the strengths that have made Murphy USA successful,” said Scott Woodward, Murphy USA Senior Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer. “This relationship allows us to introduce a new convenience offering informed by customer insights, while maintaining the operational discipline and focus on everyday value. We’re encouraged by the opportunity to drive incremental inside sales, traffic and basket growth.”
White Castle Selected as Launch Brand
White Castle will serve as the launch partner for the autonomous platform, bringing one of America’s most iconic restaurant and CPG brands to Murphy USA customers in a new and highly convenient format.
“At White Castle, we’ve spent more than a century finding innovative ways to bring our Crave to customers wherever they are,” said Audra Mazzeo, White Castle Vice President of Retail Sales. “This partnership creates a unique opportunity to meet customers during their everyday routines and deliver the White Castle experience in a way that is convenient, fast, and incredibly tasty.”
The Technology Behind the Experience
ART’s Just Baked autonomous platform transforms a compact retail footprint into an automated hot-food destination, enabling hot, branded food to be prepared on demand with significantly less space and infrastructure than traditional foodservice formats.
Customers place orders through an intuitive touchscreen interface and receive hot food in approximately two minutes. Behind the scenes, ART’s technology automates preparation, heating, and delivery within a self-contained system. The technology is also designed as a modular, multi-brand platform capable of supporting nationally recognized brands, regional favorites and a variety of food categories over time.
“This partnership is about more than technology,” said David Chessler, Founder of Automated Retail Technologies. “Together with Murphy USA and White Castle, we’re making hot, branded food easier to access in locations where customers already shop every day.”
A Disciplined Approach to Innovation
Murphy USA’s strategy has always been grounded in delivering value to customers while running the business with discipline. This initiative reflects that same approach by evaluating a new foodservice model that can enhance convenience, strengthen customer experience, and support long-term, profitable growth.
This initiative combines that operating philosophy with automation and robotics to explore a new model for convenience foodservice, one designed to enhance the customer experience, expand food offerings, drive incremental store traffic and support long-term profitable growth.
The collaboration brings together Murphy USA’s national retail footprint and operational expertise, White Castle’s iconic food brand, and ART’s autonomous foodservice technology to create a platform with the potential to reshape how hot, branded food is delivered in convenience retail.
