Okay, Charlotte, North Carolina readers — big news. Your lunch? It might just be flying in from above. DoorDash has officially teamed up with Wing, the drone delivery pros, to bring aerial food delivery to the Queen City for the first time ever.
Starting today, if you’re within about four miles of The Arboretum Shopping Center in South Charlotte, you can order from select local and national spots on the DoorDash app — and have your meal delivered via drone. Yes, seriously. Your smoothie, Caesar wrap with grilled chicken, or spicy tuna roll could be gently lowered to your doorstep by a little robot in the sky.
So, wait, what’s the deal?
DoorDash, one of the biggest names in local food delivery, and Wing, the global leader in residential drone delivery (owned by Alphabet, AKA Google’s parent company), are on a mission to make food delivery more efficient and sustainable.
This isn’t their first rodeo. The duo first launched drone delivery in Australia back in 2022. Since then, they’ve taken to the United States’ airspace — first in Southwest Virginia, then Dallas-Fort Worth, and now Charlotte. The long-term plan? Expand into even more neighborhoods by the end of the year.
What you can order – and the $1 deal you shouldn’t miss.
Right now, Charlotte’s drone delivery menu includes some seriously crave-worthy options. Local favorites like Curry Junction, Matcha Cafe Maiko, and Joa Korean Food are part of the lineup and the national chain Panera Bread, which has become the first big-name brand in the city to offer drone delivery.
To celebrate the launch, DoorDash offers a limited-time deal that’s hard to resist: a $1 bowl of Panera’s iconic mac & cheese, delivered straight to your doorstep or lawn by drone. This promo is exclusive to customers who live within the eligible delivery zone and order through the DoorDash app. But Panera has offered this deal before with $1 cups of soup, so don’t get too upset if you missed this deal.
How does it work?
If you’re within the service area, you’ll see an option for drone delivery on select menu items in the DoorDash app. Once your order is confirmed, the drone takes off from a central hub near The Arboretum and heads straight to your location, guided by GPS and innovative smart tech to safely lower your food on a string to the designated drop spot.
The drones are designed for quick trips — lightweight packages only — so don’t expect a three-course meal to fly in. But for small orders, it’s a perfect match.
Besides being cooler than your drone phase in middle school, these drones have real-world benefits. It’s faster (orders arrive in 30 minutes or less), better for the environment (lower emissions than traditional delivery methods), and opens up new possibilities for how cities handle local commerce.
Drone delivery could become a game-changer for students or anyone in Charlotte who’s tired of cold fries, melted coffees, or long wait times.
Charlotte is now officially part of the drone delivery revolution. If you live near The Arboretum, you can be among the first to try this futuristic new way of getting food — and no, you don’t have to tip the robot 20%.
As DoorDash and Wing continue to expand their sky-high partnership, one thing’s for sure. The future of food delivery is looking up. Literally.