Wing and DoorDash partnership brings first ever drone delivery service to Charlotte, North Carolina

DoorDash and Wing are introducing drone delivery to Charlotte, NC for the first time.

Starting today, eligible DoorDash customers within about four miles of The Arboretum Shopping Center in southern Charlotte can order from a selection of local and national restaurants and choose to have their items delivered by drone.

The lineup includes Curry Junction, Matcha Cafe Maiko, Joa Korean food, and Panera Bread - the city's first national partner available for drone delivery.

DoorDash and Wing first launched this service together in Australia in 2022. Since then, it has landed in the US and parts of Southwest Virginia, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and now Charlotte. Plans are afoot to expand to additional neighbourhoods later this year.

“Autonomous delivery will help shape the future of local logistics, and we’re proud to introduce drone delivery to Charlotte for the first time with Wing,” says Harrison Shih, Head of Product at DoorDash Labs.

“What makes this launch special isn’t just the technology, it’s the experience. Whether it’s your favourite Panera sandwich, a savory snack from DashMart, or a local matcha latte on DoorDash, there’s something special about watching your order arrive by air in minutes. DoorDash and Wing aren’t just delivering faster, we’re delivering what’s next.”

“We’ve owned and operated The Arboretum Shopping Center, one of Charlotte’s most well established and well known retail centres, for over 30 years,” says Paul Herndon, President at American Asset Corporation. “It is incredibly exciting and quite an honour for it to now host the very first Wing and DoorDash drone delivery operation in North Carolina.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Drone delivery will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.