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The basics:

• Shake Shack joins 100+ Jersey City restaurants offering robot delivery
• Uber Eats, Avride partnership expands autonomous delivery across the city
• Robots navigate streets, crosswalks, obstacles & operate in inclement weather
• Delivery radius is 31 miles and average trip 20 minutes

Customers ordering from Shake Shack in downtown Jersey City now have the option to get their made-to-order burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches and hand-spun milkshakes delivered by a self-driving robot.

Ride hailing giant Uber Eats and autonomous vehicle startup Avride introduced robot food delivery in the city earlier this year. Since then, the partners have more than doubled the service’s local operating territory.

As of Sept. 30, Shake Shack on Grove Street is now among the 100-plus eateries in Jersey City available for robot delivery. The addition is part of a larger multiyear partnership between Uber Eats and Avride.

Bot talk

Avride Head of Sales Toby Snuggs said, “Our robots have already become a familiar sight in Jersey City, and we’re deeply touched by the warm welcome from the community. We’re especially thrilled to now be delivering from Shake Shack — a true local favorite — and look forward to delighting more communities in the same way as we grow.”

Megan Jensen, Uber’s global head of autonomous delivery, added, “We’re excited to make it even easier for people in Jersey City to get Shake Shack with the help of Avride’s delivery robots. Autonomous delivery is a fun, innovative way to receive your favorites from Uber Eats, brought right to your doorstep — making every meal feel a little more special.”

Steph So, chief growth officer for the popular New York City-born burger chain, shared, “This partnership gives our fans in Jersey City a fun, innovative new way to enjoy their favorite Shack classics.”

Prior to Jersey City, the offering kicked off last fall in Austin before expanding to Dallas. Since then, Avride estimates its fleet of sidewalk robots has delivered tens of thousands of meals to Uber Eats customers from more than 200 restaurants across the three cities.

Meanwhile, Uber Eats’ competitor DoorDash also deployed its own autonomous delivery robot this week in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. According to DoorDash, it developed its technology entirely in-house. The company will eventually introduce the service to multiple other markets.

Meet your new driver

When customers order from Shake Shack or another participating restaurant on the Uber Eats app, a notice that reads “autonomous vehicles may deliver your order” will appear when the service is available.

Watch the robot in action (no sound):

Thanks to its advanced software and cameras, robots can navigate city streets, handle crosswalks and avoid obstacles. They are also tested to operate in inclement weather, according to Avride.

Customers can use the Uber Eats app to track the robot’s location in real time and receive a notification when it arrives. Then, they can tap “unlock” in the app to open a specially designed hatch to grab their order.

According to Uber Eats, the robot will wait for up to 10 minutes at the delivery location. The window aims to ensure there’s plenty of time for customers to collect their food. The companies also noted that the robot’s cameras blur faces and license plates to ensure discretion and keep privacy intact.

A spokesperson for Avride told NJBIZ recently that dinner remains the most popular time for robot deliveries, with 5–6 p.m. being the busiest hours. After that, the lunch rush for local office workers, residents and visitors is the second most in-demand time for a quick, tech-powered meal.