As early as next year, you might be able to order a pizza in the Seattle area and have it delivered by drone.
On Wednesday, Pagliacci Pizza announced a partnership with the drone delivery company Zipline, which says its newest drone program could carry two 13″ pizzas and side dishes to a customer.
The drone would hover 300 feet above a home, and then lower a droid on a tether, which leaves behind a package.
“We know our customers want delivery, we know they want it to be fast,” said Pagliacci co-owner Matt Galvin. “It’s not going to be sitting in a car for 7 or 8 minutes, it’s going to be in a drone for two minutes.”
Zipline already uses a different system of larger drones and small parachutes to deliver for Walmart and other customers around the world.
Company executives say they’ll be ready to launch the new system, with more precise deliveries, in 2024.
“A lot of it is just about making sure we have the system ready and working,” said Zipline Chief Regulatory Officer Conor French.
Pagliacci expects to first offer drone deliveries in more suburban areas and says the new option will help reduce its carbon footprint.
“This is a massive opportunity for us to expand upon sustainable delivery,” Galvin said.
Pagliacci expects to keep delivering its most popular larger pizzas in the same way it does now.
Customers will be able to opt-in or out of drone delivery for smaller pizzas, and there will be a similar delivery charge.
The company says tips offered during drone delivery will go to the kitchen staff.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that “Safely integrating drones into the National Airspace System is a key priority.”
According to the FAA, Zipline “is authorized to operate as an air carrier and conduct common carriage operations.”
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