Food Delivery Robots Hit the Streets in Jersey City Through Uber Eats and Avride
When Shake Shack joined the program on Sept. 30, it marked a big step forward for this new way of getting food to people’s doors.
Uber Eats and Avride have teamed up on food delivery in Jersey City.
Image Courtesy AvrideSelf-driving robots now zip through Jersey City streets, bringing meals from more than 100 local spots to hungry customers. When Shake Shack joined the program on Sept. 30, it marked a big step forward for this new way of getting food to people's doors.
These machines work within a 31-mile zone, bringing orders in about 20 minutes flat. Moving at 5 mph, they use smart tech to cross streets, dodge obstacles, and find their way around town.
"Our robots have already become a familiar sight in Jersey City, and we're deeply touched by the warm welcome from the community," said Avride Head of Sales Toby Snuggs, according to an Avride press release.
The partnership started with a test run in Austin last fall. Now, after expanding to Dallas, these machines have dropped off countless meals across three cities, working with over 200 restaurants.
Megan Jensen from Uber spoke about what makes this new system tick. "Autonomous delivery is a fun, innovative way to receive your favorites from Uber Eats, brought right to your doorstep — making every meal feel a little more special," Jensen said.
When you order, the app tells you if a robot might show up at your door. You can track its path in real time and get an alert when it arrives. Each robot waits up to 10 minutes at delivery spots.
Rain or shine, these machines keep rolling. Their cameras blur out faces and car plates for privacy. Most drop-offs happen between 5 and 6 p.m., with lunch rushes coming in second.
Competition is heating up fast. DoorDash just launched its own fleet in Phoenix this week. They built the tech themselves and plan to spread to other cities soon.
Steph So from Shake Shack shared the excitement about this new venture. "This partnership gives our fans in Jersey City a fun, innovative new way to enjoy their favorite Shack classics," So said.
Getting your food is simple: just tap the app to open the robot's storage box. The whole thing aims to be quick and safe, keeping both food and customer info secure.
