Olo partners with Zipline to bring autonomous drone delivery to restaurants

Technology

Photo: Adobe Stock (AI generated)

December 9, 2025

Olo Inc., a leading restaurant technology provider, has partnered with Zipline, an autonomous delivery service, to integrate drone delivery capabilities into the Olo platform, according to a press release.

The integration is expected to launch in early 2026. It will enable restaurant brands using Olo Rails to offer Zipline’s autonomous drone delivery as a fulfillment option, streamlining operations while expanding their reach to serve more guests faster, more conveniently and more efficiently.

Olo Rails consolidates orders from third-party marketplaces directly into restaurants’ point-of-sale systems and kitchen displays, unifying workstreams, eliminating manual entry and reducing errors. Integrating Zipline’s service into Rails will allow brands to manage traditional and autonomous delivery channels from a single source.

The partnership comes as the drone delivery market experiences explosive growth and as guests increasingly expect and want faster, on-demand service.

“Olo is committed to powering the restaurant of the future, partnering with cutting-edge technology providers that help restaurants run more efficiently and serve more guests nationwide,” Noah Glass, founder and CEO at Olo, said in the press release. “As brands embrace innovative technologies to automate low-touch tasks such as delivery, we’re ensuring our platform evolves with them. Integrating Zipline’s proven drone delivery capabilities into Rails gives our customers – from emerging brands to enterprise leaders – seamless access to the future of last-mile logistics without added complexity. Together, we’re redefining convenience, consistency, and brand-controlled guest experiences.”

Zipline has nearly 2 million commercial deliveries completed and now serves customers in almost 20 cities across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Zipline operates on four continents and safely makes a delivery somewhere in the world every 30 seconds.

“Olo has built an extensive network of enterprise and emerging restaurant brands that are perfectly positioned to benefit from the rise of autonomous delivery,” Chris Kenney, vice president of partnerships at Zipline, added in the press release. “Through this partnership, we’re making drone delivery accessible to innovative, forward-thinking brands of all sizes, so that they can enhance guest experiences while reducing operational complexity and environmental impact. People love getting food Zipped to them — it keeps hot items hot, cold things cold and brings dinner for the whole family in a magical delivery experience.”

Zipline currently delivers orders up to 5.5 pounds, with plans to increase to 8 pounds over time. Delivery flights are often under five minutes, and Zips are thermally insulated to maintain food quality.