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The next time you are craving a Wendy's Baconator, DoorDash may deliver it to you by drone. DoorDash and Wing have expanded their partnership into the U.S. after a successful year-long trial in Australia, kicking off with the first U.S. DoorDash drone delivery in Christiansburg, Virginia.
DoorDash and Wing launched the drone delivery pilot program in Australia in 2022, expanding to three locations in Queensland with over 60 participating merchants. Wendy's is the first restaurant partner as Wing and DoorDash expand into U.S. territory, now offering a new option for customers.
"We are excited to expand our partnership with Wing in the U.S. to integrate drone delivery into DoorDash's ecosystem," DoorDash Labs Senior Director Harrison Shih said. "At DoorDash, we are committed to advancing last-mile logistics by building a multi-modal delivery platform that serves all sides of our marketplace. We're optimistic about the value drone delivery will bring to our platform as we work to offer more efficient, sustainable, and convenient delivery options for consumers."
Beginning March 21, customers in Christiansburg can place a qualifying order with DoorDash from the Wendy's on 2355 N. Franklin Street and choose the option to have their meal delivered by drone. Once the meal has been ordered, the food will be prepared and packaged at the restaurant and delivered by a Wing drone, usually in 30 minutes or less. DoorDash and Wing launched the drone delivery venture in Australia with a pilot program in Logan, located in the South East Queensland region. This marked the first time Wing integrated its drone delivery service into a new marketplace.
"Expanding our partnership with DoorDash and launching in the U.S. is a direct result of the success we've seen from our initial collaboration in Australia, where Wing has served tens of thousands of customers via the DoorDash app for over a year now," Wing Head of Partnerships Cosimo Leipold said. "Wing has now made over 350,000 deliveries across three countries and looking ahead we are focused on providing a fast, affordable and safe service to our partners so they can better serve their customers. This moment continues our meaningful expansion of this service in the U.S. and advances our shared goal to better the last-mile delivery ecosystem."
Christiansburg was a fitting city to expand the delivery partnership into the U.S. In 2019 Wing launched its first U.S. commercial operations in Christiansburg, making it an integral part of the drone delivery process years later. Wing deliveries are starting in the city with Wendy's meals, but could grow to other restaurants and options and in different cities in the future.
Drone deliveries are a quick and effective option to get smaller items quickly. These deliveries ensure your meals are delivered in 30 minutes or less, with the fastest taking only three minutes. The drones travel about 65 mph then hovering and lowering the order right to your doorstep. These quick deliveries keep food warm or cool until arrival. Wing said in a recent survey of 1,000 U.S. customers, they found that 46 percent want a more environmentally friendly option for single-item delivery. Expanding the partnership with DoorDash gives U.S. customers a new, sustainable option for smaller orders. The pilot program in the U.S. will initially be in Christiansburg but there are plans to explore other cities in the U.S. later this year.