KFC and Google partner in new drone delivery service In Australia
There’s an argument to be made that shit is getting just a little too convenient. Today, it’s fast food delivered to your doorstep almost instantaneously. Tomorrow, we’re those couch-bound units from Wall-E. It certainly doesn’t help that KFC Australia is now using delivery drones to drop off those dirty fixes of even dirtier birds.
““You know the future truly is here when you can get hot fresh Kentucky Fried Chicken delivered by a drone from the click of a few buttons.””
Partnered with the Alphabet subsidiary known as Wing, the pilot program has already been launched in Queensland – namely the Southeastern suburbs of Logan Central, Kingston, Underwood, Slacks Creek, and Woodridge. The domestic branch of the Colonel’s network has confirmed it plans to expand this service to nearby locations, potentially beyond.
“Drone delivery is an amazing technology and something we see becoming more accessible in the future, so we’re thrilled to have partnered with Wing,” says Kristi Woolrych, Chief Marketing Officer of KFC Australia.
“It’s an interesting space to be in, and we’re excited to see what lies ahead. We’re looking to target customers that want convenience and the capabilities of this service truly showcase the future of delivery.”
Once an order is placed via the Wing delivery app, it’ll be prepared at a KFC kitchen, then picked up from the designated Wing Australia site by drones, before cruising away at speeds of up to 110 km/h. The drone will hover above its destination and lower the payload using a tether, which automatically releases it to the ground in a safe manner (all without ever having to land).
According to Wing themselves, the proprietary drone software performs and analyses 15 million simulations each day to detect changes in both weather and terrain, stress test the delivery systems, as well as “continually improve the routing” to customise optimal pathways to reach customers.
“We’re excited to be teaming up with KFC to expand their delivery options for customers by taking its customer favourites to new heights, through the skies of Logan, Queensland – the drone delivery capital of the world,” says Dave Ojako-Pettit, City Manager of Wing Queensland.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in use of our on-demand drone delivery service in South East Queensland… with many customers finding on-demand drone delivery especially useful as they stayed home and relied on our contactless service to deliver the things they needed.”
“We’ve seen customers receive their food at their homes in mere minutes from placing their order via the Wing app, which is amazing,” adds Woolrych.
“Getting up off the couch to whip up a snack could take longer. Significantly less than traditional delivery.”
KFC takes flight in new drone partnership with Wing
By Zach Thompson Fri 4 Feb 2022
Australia’s first on-demand drone delivery service, Wing, has partnered with KFC to deliver its signature chicken and a variety of other hot and fresh menu items.
The first of its kind for KFC Australia, the drone delivery pilot will be made available to a few select households in the South East Queensland suburbs of Kingston, Logan Central, Slacks Creek, Underwood, and Woodridge. If all goes well, the service will gradually reach other nearby locations.
KFC will be offering anything from their menu for delivery, with customers able to download the Wing delivery app from the App Store or Google Play, enter their address, and submit their order. Delivery is free and KFC aims to have orders delivered fresh in minutes.
The new delivery method will provide an alternative for customers who want to try something different but KFC will still be offering its traditional delivery methods for those who think having their chicken arrive by air is a little too close to home.
However, this isn’t the first flying food venture proposed for 2022. In January, Domino’s signed a deal with drone company SkyDrop that will see the pizza chain trial drone delivery of its products to New Zealand customers.
KFC Australia has partnered with Collins Food, the fast-food chain's most prominent corporate franchise partner, to create a ‘cloud’ kitchen. The kitchen will prepare KFC orders, fresh and ready for drone delivery.
Wing Queensland city manager Dave Ojiako-Pettit says the company has seen a substantial uptake of its on-demand drone delivery services in South East Queensland during the pandemic, with more than 100,000 deliveries being made to the Logan community alone in 2021. He shares that the company looks forward to working with KFC on their latest project.
“We’re excited to be teaming up with KFC to expand their delivery options for customers by taking its customers favourites to new heights, through the skies of Logan, Queensland - the drone delivery capital of the world,” Ojiako-Pettit says.
Wing is the world’s first on-demand drone delivery service direct to homes and businesses. With a presence on three continents, the company joins forces with local businesses and major global partners alike to deliver a wide range of goods to customers. It also plays an essential part in enabling automated access to the sky through its drone flyer app, OpenSky.
KFC Australia chief marketing officer Kristi Woolrych says, “We’re always looking for new ways to enhance the customer experience, so we’re thrilled to be teaming up with Wing to provide the Logan community this Aussie first.
“You know the future truly is here when you can get hot, fresh Kentucky Fried Chicken delivered by a drone from the click of a few buttons!” Woolrych says.
