Robot delivery is coming to Wonder, thanks to a joint effort between its delivery arm, Grubhub, and the autonomous vehicle company Avride.
During the pilot, when customers use the Grubhub app to order from Wonder’s Jersey City location, they will have the option to have an Avride sidewalk robot deliver their meal if they are within range.
It is the first time Wonder has used robots to provide delivery, and the first time Grubhub has worked with delivery robots outside of college campuses. Following the pilot, Grubhub plans to bring autonomous delivery to other markets nationwide.
It’s the latest step forward for autonomous food delivery, which has recently evolved from a speculative technology into a fast-growing and competitive sector. Proponents say robots can make delivery faster, less costly and more environmentally friendly.
Austin-based Avride is one of several players in the robot delivery space. On Wednesday, the company announced that it had raised $375 million from Uber and AI company Nebius to fuel growth.
Grubhub already has some experience with Avride on college campuses. Over the past year, they have completed more than 100,000 deliveries at colleges across the U.S., including Ohio State University, which has the largest robot delivery program in the country with a fleet of 120 bots.
The Wonder pilot will feature Avride’s most advanced robots yet. They are guided by AI and are designed to navigate urban environments and harsh weather, the company said. Avride also makes driverless cars.
For Wonder, the program fits with its goal of making food more accessible and convenient. The digital food hall chain was founded with delivery in mind and acquired Grubhub earlier this year to help it scale.
Wonder’s stores offer a selection of nearly 30 different restaurant concepts, some of which were created in partnership with celebrity chefs. Customers can order from multiple concepts in one order for delivery, pickup or dine-in using the Wonder app. Wonder’s various restaurants are also available on Grubhub, although customers can’t mix and match when they order that way.
“This pilot represents the next step in our mission to provide diners with fast, reliable, and delightful delivery experiences,” said PJ Poykayil, SVP of customer delivery operations at Wonder and Grubhub, in a statement. “By combining Grubhub’s marketplace, Wonder’s culinary innovation, and Avride’s advanced robotics, we’re delivering the future of convenience.”
Wonder was founded by ecommerce entrepreneur Marc Lore and has raised more than $2 billion to help it grow. It has more than 75 locations and expects to reach 90 by the end of the year.
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