Fast food takes to the skies

Wing Australia has partnered with QSR brand Roll’d Vietnamese to introduce food delivery to homes and workplaces via drone.

A subsidiary of Alphabet, Wing says it offers the world’s first on-demand drone delivery service, with customers simply placing an order via the Wing mobile app and taking delivery within minutes.

Innovation, modern tech and investment into drones has long been a priority for Roll’d CEO and founder Bao Hoang, who believes the move is pivotal in setting an example for other retailers to tackle national CO₂ emissions, as well as costs associated with updating infrastructure and road congestion.

The collaboration sees Wing’s expertise in drone delivery operations build upon Roll’d’s existing delivery options, providing meals to more Australians in growth corridors across Canberra and Queensland, with hopes to pioneer further expansion in the future.

With efficient delivery within minutes, Roll’d orders can be placed via the Wing app and will be delivered by a remotely piloted custom drone to customers within a 10 km radius of the delivery site.

“Drone delivery will elevate Australia to be the world’s most modern delivery country for food and parcels, expanding the choices and reach for local businesses, consumers and our community,” said Hoang.

“Through our partnership with Wing, Roll’d will be a key player alongside other businesses to reduce the costs of infrastructure on roads and slash congestion. With drone delivery technology having the potential to replace 2.3 billion Australian vehicle km each year by 2030, we’ll see huge national reductions in CO₂ emissions,” said Hoang.

Recent data from AlphaBeta not only shows that drone delivery will have the potential to grow retail sales in Australia by $2.2 billion by 2030, it’s also expected to slash delivery costs for businesses by up to $800 million per year by 2030, with delivery costs for takeaway food to fall in the long term by up to 80–90%.

“We’re delighted to be teaming up with Roll’d to deliver their freshly prepared meals to customers in Southeast Queensland and Canberra,” said Wing spokesperson Jesse Suskin. “Roll’d has championed their vision for drone delivery, and has been a national leader in providing its customers with new delivery options. Wing made more than 100,000 drone deliveries in Australia in 2021, and we’re looking forward to continuing this growth by expanding our service to more customers and businesses in 2022.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Microgen