Papa John’s is getting into the drone delivery business, but not for pizza

Starting today, keen Customers of the American pizza chain Papa Johns living in one corner of southern North Carolina will have the opportunity to receive their food from heaven, thanks to a new collaboration with Alphabet’s Drone a company, Wing. But Papa John’s signature pizza will not be on offer. Instead, drone-loving North Carolinians will have to choose between three types of sandwiches, or the fast food chain’s newer product: a Philly cheesesteak, chicken bacon ranch, or steak and mushroom varieties.

Drone deliveries are popping up in more communities across the United States and the world. Questions remain about the long-term economic and regulatory picture around unmanned aerial vehicles, but Wing is proud of its partnerships with… Walmart, Paneraand DoorDash Sky deliveries are made to customers in four metro areas: Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. (In 2019, Wing received the first U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification allowing a drone delivery company to operate in the country.) Competing drone companies, including Zipline, Amazon Prime AirFlytrex, flight packs, medical supplies and Chipotle burritos In selected communities across countries such as Ghana, Japan and the United States.

But until very recently, drone operators struggled to fly full-sized pizzas. For companies hoping to break into the food delivery space, that’s unfortunate: 11 percent of the U.S. population eats a slice on any given day, according to the USDA. In a The restaurant industry is rapidly diversifyingdelivering it to customers It’s still big business. But the realities of physics, engineering and the restaurant industry conspire to make pizza a challenge for drones.

Flying pizza

Traditionally, pizza is the experimental technology delivery of choice. The familiar and cheap bread and cheese sauce combo is loaded Self-driving cars and Self-driving delivery vehicles on the sidewalk And it was Assembled by robots. It’s a quick and satisfying option, especially for busy, time-strapped families. In theory, it’s well-suited for drones, and is among one of the fastest delivery options – people love fresh, hot pizza.

But flying one with a drone requires some extra work, says Adam Woodworth, Wing’s CEO. “Pizza comes in a completely different box, with a large, flat surface,” he says. It’s not naturally aerodynamic. Also, “You don’t want the pizza to tilt.”

The relatively lightweight Wing aircraft are designed to carry three specific package sizes; Right now, pizza boxes aren’t one of them. Woodworth says a new design is on the horizon. “I want to see pizza come to me from heaven,” he says.

Flytrex, an Israel-based drone delivery company, announced late last month that it had finally solved the problem. In collaboration with rival pizza chain Little Caesars, the company has begun delivering up to two large pizzas (16 inches each) via drone, along with soft drinks and bread, in Wylie, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The jump comes thanks to a new, much larger drone, capable of carrying up to 8.8 pounds for a distance of four miles.

Courtesy of Flitrix