DoorDash launches drone delivery in metro Atlanta

The service is offered in Locust Grove, but DoorDash hopes to expand, a spokesperson says.

DoorDash is bringing drone delivery to a select area in metro Atlanta. (Courtesy of DoorDash and Wing)

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Takeout food can now arrive by air in one metro Atlanta city.

Delivery app DoorDash said Wednesday it is launching drone delivery service in Locust Grove, roughly 35 miles southeast of downtown.

It marks DoorDash’s first time offering the service in metro Atlanta. The company has partnered with drone provider Wing, owned by Google parent company Alphabet.

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DoorDash and Wing have placed their drone hub at the Tanger Outlets shopping center off I-75. Homes within about 4 miles are eligible for drone delivery from nearby restaurants including Molinos Mexican Grill, Koji Japanese Steakhouse and Sabrosos Mexican Restaurant, according to an announcement.

“By bringing our Wing partnership to a new city, we’re helping local merchants reach more consumers while improving speed and reliability,” Harrison Shih, head of the DoorDash drone program, said in the news release.

Delivery is expected to take as little as 20 minutes. Eligible customers will see a drone icon in the DoorDash app. The delivery fee is currently waived. DoorDash didn’t say how much the drone service may cost in the future.

Drones dock and take off from a DoorDash and Wing “nest,” a drone hub at the Tanger Outlets shopping center off I-75. (Courtesy of DoorDash and Wing)

A spokesperson said DoorDash plans to expand drone service in metro Atlanta but did not have details to share at this time.

DoorDash has ramped up drone deliveries in other cities, such as Charlotte, North Carolina, where it recently doubled operations, according to Axios.

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Other delivery apps like Uber Eats and Grubhub are starting to employ drones in other parts of the country. Uber Eats does have food delivery robots that scoot along urban Atlanta sidewalks.

Walmart in December also launched drone delivery with Wing in metro Atlanta at a handful of stores. The big-box retailer has since expanded, announcing last month its drone delivery can now reach more than 120,000 metro Atlanta households from 12 stores.

Wing says on its website its drones can fly about 60 mph and carry up to 5 pounds. In 2019, it was the first company to get FAA approval to use drones to deliver packages commercially.

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