Flying burritos: If you live in this area, your Chipotle order could arrive by drone

When I read the latest news release from Chipotle, I’ll admit my brain immediately jumped to the idea brought to animated life by a certain Flint Lockwood. The thought of burritos floating down from the clouds feels like a Tex-Mex fever dream. But it’s real… well, sort of.

Chipotle has launched what it is calling ‘Zipotle’ – a drone-powered delivery service in Dallas that might change how you think about takeout.

Key points:

• Zipotle uses autonomous aircraft from Zipline, the world’s largest drone delivery network.
• The first participating restaurant is in Rowlett, Texas.
• Orders fly directly to homes, backyards, or even parks in just minutes.
• Deliveries run daily between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. CT, soon expanding to 10 p.m.

How does Chipotle’s drone delivery work?

Here’s how the system goes about satisfying your munching needs.

As with many services, you simply order through the Zipline app. Employees then load your burrito into a “Zipping Point,” and a Zip drone swoops in to pick it up. The aircraft hovers about 300 feet above your location and gently lowers the food to the ground.

There’s no awkward handoff, no quesadillas getting cold in the backseat of someone’s Civic in traffic, and no need for your stomach to rumble too long. Well, that’s the idea, anyway.

Where is this available now?

Right now, it’s only Rowlett residents near the Chipotle at 3109 Lakeview Pkwy that can try Zipotle. As stated in Chipotle’s release, only a limited number of customers are part of this early-access rollout. Assuming all goes to plan, and no flying wildlife injured, the service will expand across Dallas in the coming weeks. From there, the world opens up like a freshly made taco.

Zipline, best known for using drones to deliver blood and medical supplies in Africa, has already logged over 100 million miles. Now those same aircraft are hauling burrito bowls through Texas heat, rain, and wind without breaking a sweat... or, hopefully, a tortilla.

If it takes off, Zipotle could become the norm. For now, though, if you see something hovering above your yard in Rowlett, it’s likely not an alien invasion – it’s probably just someone’s lunch.

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