Initially, a limited number of users will have access to the full Chipotle menu, with a broader rollout expected in the coming weeks. Any future expansion will depend on the results of this test run, the company said.
Chipotle employees will load meals into Zipline’s “Zipping Point,” where drones pick up the orders. The aircraft then fly to customers’ locations, hovering about 300 feet above ground before deploying a small robot, or “Zip,” to lower the order safely.“The exciting thing about drone delivery is we don’t need to have specific drone locations at every restaurant to make this effective,” Curt Garner, Chipotle’s president and chief strategy and technology officer, told CNBC in an interview. “Because of the coverage radius of drones, it might only be one restaurant in a particular neighborhood that can service the entire neighborhood. So that makes national expansion easier.”
The company hopes the service will appeal to younger consumers — a demographic that already drives much of Chipotle’s growth. “They skew higher to delivery than older consumers, and they’re a curious group of people that want to try new things,” Garner said.
Chipotle, like other fast-casual chains, has seen softer sales in recent quarters. Same-store sales fell 4% in its latest quarter as traffic slowed, though CEO Scott Boatwright told analysts sales have been rebounding since June with summer promotions and the launch of its Adobo Ranch dip.
Zipotle deliveries will use Zipline’s insulated Platform 2 drones, designed to withstand rain, heat, and cold. Each aircraft can initially carry orders up to 5.5 pounds, with capacity expected to increase to 8 pounds. Deliveries will cost $2.99 plus a 15% service fee, capped at $6, and operate daily from 12 pm to 8 pm CT, with plans to extend to 10 pm.
Zipline, a CNBC Disruptor 50 company, already operates on four continents, serving more than 5,000 hospitals and health facilities. It has completed over 100 million commercial autonomous miles and makes a delivery somewhere in the world every 60 seconds.
“It’s a better product experience. It’s better for the environment, it’s less expensive, and importantly, it also increases access,” Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo Cliffton told CNBC.
Beyond Chipotle, Zipline said it is also working with salad chain Sweetgreen to explore timing and locations for a future drone delivery launch.
