Wendy’s customers around America may soon be receiving their takeaway food order by drone, due to a new collaboration between Wing and DoorDash, reports the nypost.com. A pilot program rolled out late last week in Christiansburg, Virginia, where drones are delivering burgers, fries and a Frosty to customers in less than 30 minutes.
A Doordash spokesperson commented, “Select local consumers will be able to order eligible menu items from Wendy’s through the DoorDash marketplace and have them delivered via drone.” This is the trial’s first restaurant partner. Wing drones will fly the eligible items including Baconator Burgers, Frosty Dairy Desserts and Canned Chili at 65 mph, before gently dropping them on to a customer’s front lawn.
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Consumers simply have to select the “deliver by drone tab”on the DoorDash Marketplace site and place their Wendy’s order. The meals then will be prepped, packaged and delivered via Wing for free. All homes within a 2.5‑mile radius of the Wendy’s at 2355 N. Franklin Street are eligible for the service provided they have a lawn or another form of landing pad.
Harrison Shih, Senior Director of DoorDash Labs, remarked, “We’re optimistic that the value drone delivery brings to our platform will be successful, as we work to offer more efficient, sustainable and convenient delivery options for consumers.”
Doordash first partnered with Wing in Australia during 2022. After a successful year-long trial, the drones now drop off deliveries from over 60 merchants. By focusing on America, the company plans to expand its service to other U.S cities before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Wing is already delivering items from 36 Walmart stores in seven states, including an expansion to Dallas, Texas, last August. Beginning U.S commercial operations in Christiansburg, Virginia during 2019, the partnership with DoorDash is an important step in Wing’s vision of creating what the company believes “can become the preferred mode of delivery for the millions of small packages that are delivered every day around the world.”
Christiansburg and its community have been a vital part of drone delivery’s general progress, making it a fitting place to kick off the U.S DoorDash expansion, starting with Wendy’s.
