5 tech things: Americans open to robot and drone food delivery, survey finds

In this special edition of its 5 Things series, Food Management highlights five recent technology-related developments affecting the foodservice world.

Here’s your list for today:

1.    Americans embracing robot/drone food delivery, survey finds

According to a recent Deloitte survey, nearly half of Americans are open to ordering food from a restaurant that delivers using drones or autonomous vehicles. This represents a 3% increase from a similar survey conducted in 2021 and is largely attributed to the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the adoption of technology in the food delivery industry.

Read more: Americans Open to Robot Food Delivery, Survey Shows

 2.    Notre Dame operates late night ghost kitchen on weekends

Gipper’s Late Night Kitchen at the University of Notre Dame is a ghost kitchen that operates from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and uses Grubhub robots to deliver its menu of pizza, ice cream, wings and cookies. “It is programmed to be a late-night dining experience," says Luigi Alberganti, Notre Dame's executive director of Campus Dining. "You could be at your dorm or your friend’s dorm and you put it on your phone and something will be delivered to your dorm coming from this kitchen.”

Related:5 things: Report finds food-as-medicine strategies could save billions in healthcare costs

Read more: Gipper’s ghost kitchen provides late-night dining on campus

3.    Chipotle testing automated makeline

Chipotle is testing an automated digital makeline for its bowls and salads at its Cultivate Center in Irvine, Calif. According to the company, the dishes are created by Hyphen’s automated system and are then moved through the bottom makeline where ingredients are automatically added before an employee manually adds a lid. An employee is then able to use the top makeline to make burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and kid’s meals on the same digital order.

Read more: Chipotle Mexican Grill is testing an automated makeline for its bowls and salads

4.    Amazon Just Walk Out store opens in Florida airport

A new store powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology has opened at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The Market on Las Olas, which is located post-security in Terminal 3, is the first location in a Florida airport to feature Amazon’s checkout-free shopping platform.

Read more: IDEAS: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Launches Amazon-Powered Store

5.    Do food delivery robots moonlight as police snitches?

Serve Robotics, which delivers food for Uber Eats, provided footage filmed by at least one of its robots to the Los Angeles Police Dept. (LAPD) as evidence in a criminal case. The emails show the robots, which are a constant sight in the city, can be used for surveillance.

Related:5 things: Free meals for all students is best way to combat hunger, report concludes

Read more: Food Delivery Robots Are Feeding Camera Footage to the LAPD, Internal Emails Show

Bonus: Viewpoint: Smart Kitchens—the sustainable future of cooking

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]