Get ready, Los Angeles. The sidewalk pizza bots are booting up, at least for some lucky Little Caesars customers who want a taste of the future.
The country’s No. 3 pizza chain has partnered with Serve Robotics, a leading autonomous sidewalk delivery company, to deliver pizza in the Los Angeles area with Serve’s robots via Uber Eats, according to a press release.
Little Caesars led the major pizza chains into third-party delivery when it forged a partnership with DoorDash in 2020—at a time when companies like Domino’s and Pizza Hut still had serious doubts about aggregators.
Now the company has taken it one step further. Little Caesars customers in Serve’s L.A. delivery area can ask to receive their Uber Eats orders via autonomous sidewalk robots.
According to Serve, its new third-generation robots are uniquely suited for pizza delivery. They boast an expanded cargo bin that can carry four large 16” pizzas, plus Caesar Wings, Italian Cheese Bread and beverages, while maintaining food temperature and quality en route.
Little Caesars fans can choose the option to have their pizza delivered by a Serve robot when they order through the Uber Eats app. Those who are selected to receive robotic delivery will see a confirmation screen, get app notifications and be able to track the robot’s location as their order approaches. When it arrives, customers will use the app to open the robot and retrieve their order.
“Delivering for a beloved national chain like Little Caesars is another opportunity for us to show how we help merchants grow and give consumers a better delivery experience,” said Ali Kashani, CEO of Serve Robotics, in the press release. “Seeing a Serve robot at your door will soon become as much of a weekly tradition as pizza night.”
Food delivery bots are now an increasingly common sight on many college campuses nationwide, and it’s not unusual to see them zipping along the sidewalks in major cities and suburbs.
In 2021, Domino’s worked with Nuro, an autonomous delivery company, to test delivery via a self-driving robotic car in the Woodland Heights section of Houston, Texas. However, Domino’s has made no further announcements about the technology since then, although some media outlets hailed the move as “the future of pizza delivery” at the time.
It’s safe to say the pizza industry will keep a close eye on Little Caesars’ venture into robotic delivery.
“Little Caesars is always looking for ways to be innovative in the restaurant industry,” said Trish Heusel, the pizza chain’s VP of innovation. “Partnering with Serve allows us to deliver a solution that aligns with our commitment to better service and technology-forward solutions while reducing our environmental footprint.”
Thanks to the relationship with Serve Robotics and Little Caesars, “we’re making delivery easier, more reliable and more sustainable,” noted Megan Jensen, Uber Eats’ head of autonomous delivery operations.
The partnership expands Serve’s presence on Uber Eats—which already offers Serve’s robotic deliveries in Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas and Atlanta—with additional U.S. cities coming soon, the robotics company said.
