(Credit: Wing)
Fast food by drone is becoming a reality in the town of Christiansburg, Virginia, where Wendy’s orders can literally be flown to customers.
On Thursday, drone company Wing announced it's now offering the Wendy’s deliveries through a partnership with DoorDash. “We’re proud to bring drone delivery via DoorDash to the US for the first time,” Wing said.
For now, Wing is flying the Wendy's orders only in Christiansburg, a town of 21,000 people, where the company has already spent the last five years testing its drone-delivery service. This has included delivering hot meals from a local Mexican restaurant and muffins from a bakery.
“Starting with service from one Wendy’s restaurant, Christiansburg customers will see an option in the DoorDash app to have their Wendy’s favorites delivered by drone,” Wing says.
The company also posted a video showing off a drone delivery. The flying bot carries the Wendy’s order in custom packaging that the drone lifts up and lowers via a tether. The bot then flies to the customer’s address, where the Wendy’s order is dropped near their front door.
The Wendy's orders represent an expansion from Wing’s partnership with DoorDash in Australia, where the two companies spent the last year offering drone-based deliveries to residents in the town of Logan.
Wing says it’s able to deliver DoorDash orders in under 30 minutes, with the fastest delivery occurring in just under three minutes. “With such speedy delivery, we’re able to keep your food warm, your treats frozen, and everything delicious upon arrival,” the company adds, noting its drone can travel at around 65 miles per hour in the air. The company's newest drone can also haul a 5-pound package, double its previous limit.
There’s no word on when Wing could expand the DoorDash deliveries to more areas. But it’ll likely come down to securing more regulatory approvals. In the meantime, Wing has also been partnering with Walmart to power drone-based grocery deliveries in Texas.