If there’s one thing out there we can all agree on, it’s that pizza is awesome. But beyond that broad stroke comes of bevy of points up for conjecture. Which crust? Which toppings? And, perhaps most importantly, which pizza purveyor?
Well, this latest advancement in pizza delivery might just tip the scales in favor of a familiar name: Domino’s. As we all know, over the last few years Domino’s has dug deep into its marketing in an effort to press reset on its image. The company copped to the fact that its pizza wasn’t so great and vowed to update its menu, its ingredients and its service.
Well, if your vision of great service is receiving a hot, fresh pizza without having to talk to another human – or look one in the eye – then you will probably appreciate this. Domino’s is testing a pilot program in Germany and the Netherlands where the traditional delivery driver is anything but. According to Bloomberg, Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd., “the world’s largest franchise license owner of Domino’s Pizza,” has formed a group called Domino’s Robotic Unit that will oversee a project in conjunction with self-driving robot makers Starship Technologies.
Six-wheeled droids from Starship will zip pizzas to waiting customers within a one mile radius of certain Domino’s locations, at a maximum speed of 4 miles per hour. Upon arrival, the customers can unlock the cargo hold using a special code that’s been sent to their phones. The interior is insulated and can hold up to 20 lbs worth of the good stuff. What the article doesn’t really address is how and if the robots will navigate crossing the street. Currently they are designed for sidewalk use only – not roads – which sort of makes you wonder: just how close is this Domino’s if there is not a single road between you and them?
If you’re the type of person who doesn’t use the self-checkout line at the grocery store because it eliminates jobs for humans, then maybe Domino’s pizza droid isn’t your bag. But it might help to know that Domino’s says that its ten-year growth plan suggests the company eventually won’t have enough delivery drivers to support demand.
