Robot Delivery Now Serving Customers at Jersey City Shake Shack
Jersey City, NJ – Customers ordering from Shake Shack adn other participating restaurants via the Uber Eats app in downtown Jersey City may soon have their meals delivered by an autonomous robot, marking the latest expansion of robotic delivery services in the state. The service, powered by robots from Avride, launched this week and aims to provide a quick and tech-driven meal option for local office workers, residents, and visitors.
Uber Eats and Avride are initially rolling out the service in jersey City as part of a broader deployment strategy, following a recent launch in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area where DoorDash is independently testing its own in-house developed delivery robots. This move reflects a growing trend in the food delivery industry to leverage automation to address rising costs and demand for faster service.
The Avride robots are equipped with advanced software and cameras, enabling them to navigate city streets, crosswalks, and avoid obstacles – even in inclement weather. Customers can track the robot’s location in real-time through the Uber Eats app and receive a notification upon arrival. A designated hatch unlocks via the app for contactless order retrieval.
According to Avride, the robots have a 31-mile radius on a single charge and travel at 5 miles per hour, completing the average restaurant-to-doorstep trip in approximately 20 minutes. The robots are programmed to wait up to 10 minutes at the delivery location to ensure customers have ample time to collect their food.
Privacy is also a key consideration; the robots’ cameras blur faces and license plates to maintain discretion. An Avride spokesperson recently noted that dinner, particularly between 5-6 p.m., is currently the busiest time for robot deliveries, followed by the lunch rush.