YouTube: The Wall Street JournalChipotle has launched its first drone delivery service, teaming up with Zipline to test aerial food drops in Texas.
The pilot program, called Zipotle, went live on August 21 in Rowlett, a suburb of Dallas. Customers in the area can place orders through the Zipline app, which are then packaged at the restaurant and flown by autonomous drones.
Once dispatched, the aircraft hovers roughly 300 feet above the customer’s location and lowers the meal by tether. The system currently supports orders up to 5.5 pounds, with plans to expand capacity to 8 pounds.
ZiplineDrone delivery rollout
Zipotle is limited to select users in Rowlett during its initial phase, with operating hours set between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. Central Time. Chipotle and Zipline plan to extend hours to 10 p.m. and expand access to more customers in the coming weeks.
The drones, designed to be quiet and zero-emission, mark a shift toward sustainable logistics while also aiming to speed up delivery compared to ground-based couriers. Dallas-Fort Worth has become a hub for testing drone delivery, with other companies also trialing services in the region.
Zipline has built its reputation delivering medical supplies by air in the U.S. and abroad, and its entry into consumer food delivery could signal a broader shift in how restaurants and retailers approach on-demand services.
This comes just weeks after Walmart revealed it was going to expand on its existing drone delivery service, with plans to offer it in 100 cities by June 2026.
