Uber is expanding its use of robots to deliver food. This time, customers on the East Coast are getting a taste of the technology for the first time. CREDIT: Uber
Your next order from DoorDash might not come via a delivery driver on an electric-powered delivery bike.
It could get delivered by air.
In recent years, companies such as Walmart have increased their use of drone technology to deliver groceries and household items, aiming to outpace competitors and capture market share. Now, drone companies are setting their sights on another target: food delivery services.
Drone delivery company Flytrex teamed up with DoorDash to launch a drone delivery service in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex starting on Thursday. Over 30,000 households, equating to more than 100,000 residents, will be able to order from dozens of restaurant options, including Papa John’s, through DoorDash and have it delivered by drone, marking an industry first.
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DoorDash’s drone operating hours will span from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and will have the capability to deliver a family-sized meal or up to 6.6 pounds of food. Its next-generation models will increase capacity to 8.8 pounds.
A shot of the Flytrex drone delivering a DoorDash order. (Flytrex)
Flytrex drones can generally fly at speeds of 32 mph, enabling them to reach customers in under five minutes, according to the company’s website. They are also capable of flying approximately five miles round trip.
“These expanded operational capabilities are key to making drone delivery a mainstream option rather than a niche service,” CEO Yariv Bash told FOX Business. “As we continue to push these boundaries, we’re rapidly approaching a future where a significant portion of suburban food orders will arrive by air—it’s not a question of if, but when.”
Flytrex has teamed up with retailers and restaurants for on-demand drone food delivery since its inception in 2013. The company has completed over 200,000 deliveries across Texas and North Carolina. It completed over 1,000 with DoorDash during its pilot program.
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A shot of a Flytrex drone delivering a DoorDash order. (Flytrex)
This partnership originates from DoorDash Labs, which is the company’s robotics and automation division. The division is geared towards focusing on identifying and integrating autonomous solutions to enhance the customer experience, drive increased demand for local merchants and create more earning opportunities for Dashers, which is the company’s term for delivery workers.
“The next phase of drone delivery is all about convenience, driven by expanded capabilities that unlock a broader range of use cases,” DoorDash Labs head of product Harrison Shih said. “Larger payloads and longer operating hours allow us to serve more customers, more efficiently, than ever before.”
Shih agreed the expansion of its operation underscores how the industry is “moving closer to making drone delivery a scalable, reliable option for everyday local commerce.”
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Earlier this month, Walmart announced that it expanded its drone delivery service with Google’s Wing to launch at 100 stores in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando and Tampa, building on the existing operations in Northwest Arkansas and Texas.
A restaurant displays a DoorDash logo in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The retailer said that it is the first to scale this service across five states – Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas – underscoring its aim to become a leader in tech-enabled retail. Wing flies its drones beyond the visual line of sight of up to a 6-mile aircraft range from the store. The products arrive to customers in under 30 minutes, according to Walmart.
In February, Uber announced it was expanding its use of robots to deliver food to customers on the East Coast with Avride. The companies, which joined forces in 2024, first launched the Avride autonomous robots for Uber Eats customers in Dallas and Austin, Texas.
Meanwhile, eligible Amazon customers within the delivery range in College Station, Texas, and the West Valley of the Phoenix metro area, can access the company’s one-hour drone delivery service, according to its website. The company said its technology allows it to deliver one package, up to five pounds, in less than an hour.
