Listen Here
By Abbie Stevens, StevensA6@Findlay.edu
Kiwibots, the 15 food delivery robots traversed UF’s sidewalks, left campus at the start of the spring 2025 semester.
Kiwibots first appeared on campus in the fall of 2022, coinciding with the launch of the Everyday app, according to Riley Hale, the Marketing Coordinator for UF Dining Services. Kiwibots remained on campus for about about semesters before discontinuation in January 2025.
“The lifestyle of students on campus is always changing and the demand for on campus delivery has decreased since initially partnering with Kiwibot,” Hale said. “We’ve since shifted our focus to increasing the quality of the mobile ordering/pickup options on campus.”
The decision to discontinue the Kiwibot coincided with other campus dining changes, including the switch from Coke to Pepsi, additional Derrick Dollars options, and meal plan price increases.
“The reaction to the discontinued partnership with Kiwibot has been pretty quiet.” Hale said. “We haven’t experienced much backlash from the campus community. It seems the students that were using Kiwibots regularly understand the decision to no longer offer their services due to the low usage.
According to a poll on the Pulse’s Instagram, 27% of students surveyed said they miss the Kiwibots, 46% said they were indifferent, and 26% are happy the Kiwibots are gone.
Sophomore Claire Overley says that she feels indifferent to the absence of the Kiwibots.
“I tried to use them once, but the app wouldn’t let me use my Derrick dollars,” Overly said. After that, I pretty much just forgot about them. But they were cute.”
According to the Pulse’s Instagram poll, UF’s Kiwibots saw infrequent use: nine percent used them weekly or more, 16% used them a few times a semester, and 75% almost never used them.
Although students can’t order Kiwibot deliveries, they can still order food for pickup from campus locations using the Everyday app.
