SAN-DIEGO – Attendees at this week’s Comic-Con International will be treated to a new take on food and beverage service. Sodexo Live!, the San Diego Convention Center’s hospitality partner, is teaming up with Tortoise to launch the first mobile sales robot in a convention center.
Comic-Con, which runs from July 21 to 24 for the first time since 2019, will offer its more than 135,000 attendees a smart mobile food-to-go store thanks to a partnership between Sodexo Live!, which specializes in customized catering, sales and event management services, and Tortoise, which focuses on cutting-edge technology. Tortoise’s robot provides instant access to food and beverages, which can help attendees avoid long lines during lunch hours.
“It’s a huge accomplishment to welcome Comic-Con fans back to the convention center for the first time since 2019,” said Bobby Ramirez, district manager, Sodexo Live!. “Partnering with Tortoise for the return of this major event allows us to offer guests, many of whom have been coming to Comic-Con for years, a new way to experience our chef-prepared cuisine, but in a faster way for those who want to stay on the move throughout the event. Tortoise is a great new technology and we’re excited to help them launch in the convention center space.”
Tortoise’s separate compartments will be stocked with California burritos created by Sodexo Live! Executive Chef Sufi Karaien, as well as bottles of Gatorade. Additionally, Chef Sufi and the San Diego Convention Center team will strive to use locally sourced ingredients, often purchasing them from local partners within a 150-mile radius of the convention center.
“We are always looking to innovate the guest experience in ways that are both useful and exciting,” said Steve Pangburn, CEO of Sodexo Live! North America.
California Takeout
As the slow-moving cart travels through the exhibit area, attendees can pay with credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay and collect their item with a transaction time of less than 15 seconds.
“Entering the convention center space is exciting, and we look forward to delighting attendees with our new, seamless, future-proof solution,” said Dmitry Shevelenko, co-founder and president of Tortoise. “With Sodexo Live!’s experience hosting at some of the best and largest convention centers in the country, we knew we could build a strong relationship to ultimately deliver a fun new experience for guests.”
The Sodexo Live! culinary team is also responsible for creating the famous limited-edition candy bars produced each year at Comic-Con. Approximately 1,000 of each of the four bars are sold each day.
Contact Bobby Ramirez at (609) 598.2541; Dmitry Shevelenko at [email protected]