Interesting, since these food delivery robots are the future, not only for campuses, but also for the community, as they also ply the streets. They make ordering and getting food way easier. In fact, in previous reports here on RSF, this media outlet has featured several moves from these food delivery robots. Here are some of them:
- The delivery robots in Los Angeles and Chicago from DoorDash
- Delivery robots at Salisbury University in Maryland
- Uber Eats delivery robots in Atlanta, Georgia
These robots are magical, but in a sudden turn of events, a fleet of delivery robots on campuses at Notre Dame is pulling out!
Notre Dame has housed a massive number of food delivery robots since 2023, when an initial batch of 30 plied the roads, until this number rose to 50. But now, it’s official, it’s the end for these delivery robots.
Ahti Heinla, the co-founder and the chief executive officer of robot-operator Starship Technologies, told the team, “We’ve made the decision to wind down our U.S. campus operations as we shift our strategic focus to retail grocery chains and hot food delivery in cities across Europe and the USA.”
Starship Technologies is an autonomous delivery company that designs and operates fleets of small, six-wheeled ground robots designed to deliver hot food, groceries, and packages locally.
According to reports, 1,200 delivery robots across college campuses in the USA will be pulled out and deployed elsewhere. At the very least, they are not completely saying farewell.
“Grocery delivery is on a 10 times growth trajectory for us over the next two years,” Heinla added. "We’re looking to replicate that success with latest American retailer partnerships.”
Particularly, they are moving to grocery stores, though Starship Technologies does not discount how these robots became “engines of innovation” in universities.
“One is seasonal and contract-driven, the other is a 365-day urban business requiring different infrastructure, different retail partnerships, and a different go-to-market approach,” the CEO further stated.
These delivery robots had been bookable through the official Grubhub app. Grubhub and Starship Technologies signed a collaboration for this initiative in 2022, the similar general time that Grubhub worked with University Operations, Events, and Safety to establish routes at Notre Dame ahead of launching a fleet.
Right now, if you got business with these in-campus delivery robots, or wish to take a picture together with them, Grubhub has already removed them from the campuses, so they are already nowhere to be found. The schools duly recognize this decision.
“This is a vendor-driven decision and is not unique to Notre Dame,” Notre Dame Dining told this team. “We recognize that robot delivery has been a convenient and valued service for many members of our campus community, and we will continue to evaluate mobile ordering, pickup, delivery, and other service models that support convenience, accessibility, and reliable access to food across campus.”
Grubhub has not released their official statement on this matter. This is RSF. Open your account for more food delivery stories!