St George News Article Aug 2025

Sure, ice cream cones are cool, but have you ever been served a frozen treat by a robot? This may be your sign to try the new self-serve kiosk in St. George.

“The door will open over here, and it will spit out your ice cream,” FroYoRobo owner Jeremy Fortune said about his 99 Spoons robotic vending machine. “It does everything on its own, and it can go 24/7.”

The 99 Spoons vending machine, operated by FroYoRobo, LLC, is currently located inside the Tonaquint Hills Center at 1487 S. Silicone Way in St. George, which is home to several businesses, including a dance studio and the Paul Mitchell cosmetology school. 

Fortune said 99 Spoons is currently serving vanilla ice cream and offers alternatives, such as açaí, plant-based, gluten-free and non-dairy varieties. Toppings include sprinkles, M&Ms and Oreos, and customers can choose up to three. Syrup choices are strawberry, chocolate and caramel. A cup of ice cream starts at $5, with toppings priced at 50 cents each. 

“There’s only about 300 of these in the world right now,” Fortune said. “It’s a really cool concept.”

The machine holds approximately 140 servings of ice cream in 4-ounce cups and occupies 10 square feet of floor space, Fortune said. Orders are placed on a bright 32-inch touchscreen, and the entire system runs on an Android 4.7 operating system. At night, the machine switches into self-cleaning mode with UV light and uses a pasteurization system to kill bacteria and help the product stay fresh longer.

Each cup comes ready to enjoy with a foldable plastic spoon tucked underneath. So far, Fortune said the feedback has been all smiles. He likened the flavor of the ice cream to a McFlurry and said people love it.

Fortune said he’s on the hunt for a different location that’s more accessible to the public. He said he's eyeing spots like the Red Cliffs Mall, Utah Tech University, St. George Regional Hospital and the St. George Regional Airport. A location like the university, he said, would be perfect for late-night study sessions fueled by anytime-access ice cream.

“That’s my hope for it – get it into a place with really good traffic,” he said. 

Fortune and his family recently returned from a trip through the Oakland Airport, where he said they spotted vending machines for just about everything. There were machines stocked with pharmacy items, earbuds and even Apple products.

“I think in some ways, people are wanting that,” he said. “They want 24/7 availability and something you can do even without interacting with a person.”

He said the combination of easy access and innovative tech is something St. George has been missing. And above all, it’s just plain fun, he added.

The scoop behind the startup

Ice cream and vending machines weren’t always part of Fortune’s world. By day, he works full-time as a physical therapist, helping patients recover from injuries and improve their mobility. He said it’s a career he finds meaningful and rewarding.

Outside his career, Fortune said he has always been drawn to creative side hustles that offer flexibility without demanding too much of his time. He said he likes the idea of building something fun and unique on the side that can run with minimal effort, and a robotic ice cream machine checked all the boxes. 

Fortune owns the machine and handles the basics a few times a week, including restocking, maintenance and cleaning. After that, the machine takes care of the rest. But getting to this point wasn't quite as simple.

After purchasing the machine, Fortune said he quickly discovered he needed permits, including one from the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, and had to use a commissary kitchen to prepare his product. The entire process took approximately eight months, but now he’s fully licensed and ready to operate.

“It’s here and it’s a new way to be served ice cream,” he said. “And it’s just kind of a cool, fun thing.”

Fortune's 99 Spoons robotic vending machine can be found at the Tonaquint Hills Building, located at 1487 S. Silicon Way in St. George. Once there, enter through the main hallway at the back of the building under the 1487 sign. Both the building and the machine are open 24/7. 

The machine accepts electronic payments only, including credit cards, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, WePay and QR code payments. 

Follow FroyoRobo on Instagram and check out their website for the latest scoop.

Written by Jessie Bang 'It's here': Robotic ice cream machine lands in St. George | Life | stgeorgeutah.com