Wendy’s to test “Instant Pickup” system with robots delivering food via underground tunnels

Less than a month after Wendy’s announced its plans to implement new AI drive-thru ordering technology at one of its Columbus eateries, the Dublin-based burger chain has gone full science fiction.

According to a press release from Wendy’s published late last week, the eatery has partnered with hyperlogistics company Pipedream in order to create an “autonomous robot system with the goal of delivering digital food orders from the kitchen to designated parking spots in seconds.”

The system will use designated pickup kiosks at each parking space—deemed Instant Pickup portals—which are connected to a network of underground tunnels. Autonomous robots will navigate the tunnels to bring orders to customers’ car-side pickup portals.

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“We know that serving orders quickly and accurately leads to increased customer satisfaction,” said Wendy’s U.S. Chief Operations Officer Deepak Ajmani in a press release. “Pipedream’s Instant Pickup system has the potential to unlock greater mobile order speed of service and accuracy, enabling us to consistently deliver hot and fresh Wendy’s products to our fans.”

The Instant Pickup system is the first of its kind, according to Wendy’s, and is slated to go live later this year at one Wendy’s restaurant later this year, although the exact location was not named.

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