Chick-fil-A has announced that it will begin testing an automated delivery system with robots across the country, but don't get your hopes up, it'll probably still be closed on Sundays.
The program is in partnership with the tech company Refraction AI, which announced Tuesday its plans to work with the fast-food chain in Austin, Texas, according to WSB-TV.
The company, founded in 2019, is looking to offer another option beyond other food delivery systems. And soon, the service could be offered nationwide.
Beyond Texas, the little insulated robots are also expected to be tested in California and Florida, giving chicken fans a new way of ordering their food.
The benefit of the delivery system is its contactless feature, which comes after a pandemic forced companies and delivery drivers to be creative.
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The robots shouldn't take over the world either, as the food delivery machines are simple box-shapes on wheels, allowing food to be transported in a locked compartment. When it reaches its destination, the person who ordered the food will enter a code they received to unlock it and dig in, according to Refraction's website.
While the program is a test, Refraction AI Chief Technology Officer and co-founder Matthew Johnson-Roberson, shared with TechCrunch that the idea is to deliver food quickly.
"We're aiming for a very low delivery time," Johnson-Roberson said, adding they are looking for times of "10 to 12 minutes."
The Michigan-based company also shared on its website that its robots are used for much more than just chicken sandwiches.
"We pick up goods from places like restaurants, pharmacies, and grocery stores and bring them directly to your house, enabling faster, cheaper, and safer delivery to meet customer's growing expectations," Refraction's website reads. "Contactless delivery means there is zero physical interaction between our guest and a human being once your food leaves the restaurant – with Refraction AI, your delivery is entirely robotic! That means your order isn't changing hands any more times than absolutely necessary."
Those in less welcoming climates should be able to use the robots as well, as they are built to brave most weather conditions.
This isn't the first time Chick-fil-A has tested a delivery system like this, having done so last year with several California locations.
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