On the promise of robotic deliveries that could be 30 percent faster than car-based ones, with fewer emissions and better reliability, C3 has partnered with Coco to serve customers within two miles of its California ghost kitchens in Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Los Feliz.
Based on the partnership’s preliminary success, C3 says further expansion is already planned for additional Los Angeles neighborhoods and several major U.S. cities.
In announcing the partnership, the two companies said Coco streamlines C3’s kitchen operations by removing courier-related headaches and wait times, as the food is loaded into the Coco delivery bot as soon as it’s ready. This claims to lower pickup time by an average of 10 minutes, or 30 percent.
In addition, the agreement is claimed to provide more affordable meal deliveries for both consumers and restaurants compared to traditional third-party delivery services—as much as 50 percent, according to the companies.
Because Coco’s robots are fully electric, they release no carbon emissions directly into the atmosphere while in use. They allow delivery of items that can be housed in carbon-neutral takeaway boxes made from recycled materials, with the additional promise of better food quality when reaching the end user.
“C3 is taking a digital-first approach to expand into new markets faster than any of our delivery-focused competitors. As an industry leader with a rapidly growing food empire, we are responsible for making sure our growth is sustainable for the environment and the consumer,” said Sam Nazarian, founder and CEO of C3. “We are proud to support a fellow disrupter that has created a tech-advanced delivery solution and we hope other restaurateurs follow our lead.”
In less than two years, C3 has opened 250 “digital brand kitchens” across the US, launched 40 brands, sold 1.3 million meals, employed over 1,200 people, and unveiled GO by Citizens—a digital ordering app powered by Lunchbox that’s marketed as “the industry’s first alternative to third-party delivery platforms.”
“We’re thankful C3 is as invested in sustainable delivery solutions as we are. We believe there is no reason to have a three-thousand-pound car deliver burgers over short distances,” said Coco co-founder and CEO Zach Rash. “With the support of C3 and their continual expansion, we have an enormous opportunity to create a better experience for hundreds of thousands of merchants and their customers.”
