(Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Papa Johns is the latest brand to test drones to speed up fast-food delivery, but it won’t bring you a piping-hot pizza just yet. Instead, a collaboration with drone company Wing sees Papa Johns offer new toasted sandwiches delivered directly to your doorstep via air travel.
A new test between the two brands marks the first time Wing, a Google-owned company, is partnering directly with a restaurant. Previously, Wing has partnered with companies like DoorDash and Walmart, but never with a national restaurant chain itself.
The new test is for select customers in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wing refers to it as an “initial pilot program” for those near the Sun Valley Commons mall in Indian Trail. Customers can order three new sandwiches: Philly Cheesesteak, Chicken Bacon Ranch, and Steak & Mushroom.
Wing also says it plans to integrate its tech into the Papa Johns app, suggesting it will be easier for customers to find drone deliveries when they're available. It also plans to introduce its features into Lou AI, Papa Johns' recently unveiled “digital pizza assistant tool" built to help suggest what big groups should order.
Why not pizza? It’s too difficult to fly a drone with such a large box, Wing CEO Adam Woodworth told Wired. The box is a large, flat surface that isn’t aerodynamic enough for flight. “You don’t want a pizza tilted," Woodworth said.
In a press release, Wing said it would be working with Papa Johns to “tackle some of the industry’s complex operational hurdles, including new ways to pack and load orders with optimal aerodynamic design for the future of pizza in flight.”
So, this likely won’t remain just sandwiches forever, and if it proves successful, we may see Papa Johns expand its drone deliveries to other locations at a later date. If you live in Charlotte, you can check whether you can use it on Wing's website.