Papa John’s is teaming with Alphabet-owned drone company Wing to test autonomous food delivery in North Carolina, marking a new push by major restaurant chains into AI-powered logistics.
The pilot, launching in the Charlotte area, will allow customers near Sun Valley Commons in Indian Trail to order select Papa John’s menu items through the Wing app for drone delivery. The initial offering will focus primarily on oven-toasted sandwiches.
Executives say the partnership is aimed at addressing the costly “last mile” of delivery, a longstanding challenge for restaurants that rely heavily on drivers and third-party platforms.
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The effort is Wing’s first direct partnership with a national restaurant brand and builds on Papa John’s broader relationship with Google Cloud. Papa John’s is looking to eventually integrate drone delivery into its own app and AI-powered ordering system, known as “Lou AI.”
The companies are also working through logistics challenges, including packaging and load design, as they explore how to safely transport hot food by air – a sign the technology remains in its early stages.
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While the pilot is limited in scope, it reflects growing interest across the restaurant and tech industries in automating delivery to cut costs and speed up service.
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