Chipotle is going airborne.
Beginning Thursday, customers in the Dallas area can order burritos, bowls through drone company Zipline.
The service, dubbed “Zipotle”, is launching from Chipotle’s Rowlett, Texas, location at 3109 Lakeview Parkway. A small number will be able to order from the full Chipotle menu through the Zipline app. A broader rollout is expected in the coming weeks.
Here’s how it works: after a customer places an order in the app, Chipotle employees load it into a Zipping Point at the restaurant. The “Zips” then pick up the order and fly to the customer’s home. Once arrived, the aircraft hovers about 300 feet in the air as a tether gently lowers the food to the ground.
Deliveries cost $2.99 plus a 15 percent service fee, capped at $6.
“Zipotle is a quick and convenient source of delivery that lets guests enjoy our real food from places that are traditionally challenging to serve, including backyards and public parks,” said Curt Garner, Chipotle’s president, chief strategy and technology officer.
It is using its Platform 2 aircraft, which are insulated to protect food from rain, cold, and heat. The company says the drones are fast, quiet, and can carry up to 5.5 pounds, soon to be to 8.
“You tap a button, and minutes later food magically appears, hot, fresh, and ultra-fast,” said Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, CEO and co-Founder of Zipline. “What once felt like science fiction is soon going to become totally normal.”
Aerial delivery ramps up
This marks Chipotle’s first foray into aerial delivery, putting it in the growing ranks of restaurants experimenting with drones. Most recently, GoTo Foods began drone deliveries with Wing and DoorDash.
Related: GoTo Foods Launches Drone Delivery with DoorDash
Wing and DoorDash also launched services in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Southwest Virginia with several restaurant partners. Other players like Flytrex have also been making sky-high deliveries for restaurant brands.
Retailers are leaning in too. Walmart is rapidly expanding its drone network with Wing, growing from 18 Supercenters in Dallas to more than 100 stores across major U.S. cities.
Related: Drones Set to Transform Restaurant Delivery
Zipline first gained attention delivering medical products to rural hospitals in Rwanda and now serves about 5,000 health facilities worldwide. In the U.S., it also serves Panera, Sweetgreen, Mendocino Farms, and Walmart.
