Chipotle Mexican Grill has initiated a pilot program in the Dallas region, specifically Rowlett, in collaboration with Zipline, a provider of autonomous aerial delivery systems, to transport food orders directly to customers using unmanned aircraft. This service is cleverly branded as ‘Zipotle.’

The partnership enables a select group of users within the Zipline application to receive their entire Chipotle menu selection delivered by a drone that autonomously navigates to a specified location, hovers at altitude, and lowers the packaged order to the ground. The operation is currently limited to specific hours and a single restaurant location, with plans to expand both temporal availability and payload capacity.

The Zipotle initiative emphasizes the speed of delivery, the preservation of food quality akin to an in-restaurant experience, and the environmental benefits of utilizing electric, zero-emission unmanned aircraft.

Image Credit: Chipotle Mexican Grill x Zipline