DoorDash expands partnership with Alphabet’s Wing to bring US drone delivery pilot, the company was announced on Thursday. Select users in Christiansburg, Virginia will be able to order eligible menu items from their local Wendy’s. DoorDash first launched its pilot drone delivery program in Australia in 2022, where it now makes drone deliveries with more than 60 merchants.
DoorDash users near the Wendy’s located at 2355 N. Franklin Street will see the new delivery option on the checkout page. Once they select the drone option, their order will be prepared and delivered via Wing drone within 30 minutes.
Image Credits: DoorDash
The company told TechCrunch that for a drone delivery to take place, an address must have a small gap in the property, about two meters in diameter, in order to determine the delivery. DoorDash notes that a road with no obstructions, such as trees or overhanging objects, will make for a perfect delivery landing spot.
Most of Wendy’s items will qualify for drone delivery, but some items may not be eligible if they exceed volume and weight restrictions. If the order contains more than one drone can carry, DoorDash will deploy up to three drones to deliver the order. If the order requires more than this, it will traditionally be delivered by a delivery person.
The US pilot launch comes as Alphabet has been making small-scale deliveries in Christiansburg since 2019. DoorDash plans to bring the pilot to other US cities later this year.
“We are optimistic about the value that drone delivery will bring to our platform as we work to offer more efficient, sustainable and convenient delivery options for consumers,” Harrison Shih, senior director of DoorDash Labs, said in a press release.
Wing has partnerships with other companies in the US, including Walmart and Walgreens. The company has made more than 350,000 deliveries in three countries.
