Heavenly Burritos: Could Drones Revolutionize Delivery?

On a windy afternoon last year, I witnessed something unusual just outside City Hall in Rowlett, Texas. A peculiar craft emerged from behind the trees, hovering for a moment before lowering a smaller drone on a thin tether to a dry patch of grass. This little white drone dropped off a brown paper package—my lunch—before ascending back to its larger counterpart, which then flew away. The entire encounter lasted less than half a minute.

This wasn’t a UFO sighting; it was a Zipline drone delivery in action, and that package contained my meal. This was just one of the two million deliveries the company has completed since 2016, transporting everything from everyday items in rural America to essential medical supplies in remote regions of Africa. And soon, these drone deliveries will be expanding to even more locations.

Zipline, based in California, has been delivering burritos and other goods in Texas since 2025, but its operations have been making a difference globally for nearly a decade. The company kicked off its journey in Rwanda in 2016, providing rapid medical supply deliveries to hard-to-reach areas. Studies have highlighted the lifesaving impact of Zipline’s services, making it a standout startup with a heartwarming mission.

In Africa, Zipline utilizes its Platform 1 (P1) aircraft—fixed-wing, uncrewed drones that resemble larger versions of classic balsa wood models. These planes can carry payloads of up to four pounds, launched into the sky using a massive slingshot. Once airborne, the P1s autonomously navigate their routes, covering distances of up to 120 miles round-trip while avoiding storms by analyzing weather data. They drop their payloads via parachute before returning for a reload and battery swap.

The drones operating in the U.S. are more advanced, known as P2s. These rely on five motors and can switch from hovering to traditional flight midair, allowing for vertical takeoffs and landings or hovering over drop zones. While their maximum range is 24 miles—less than the P1s—they offer greater flexibility, making them ideal for suburban areas.

A key feature of the P2 is its companion drone, the Zip. This smaller drone has its own motor and can carry an eight-pound payload, roughly the size of a breadbox. Its propeller helps it navigate the wind while being lowered from the P2 above. The P2 is equipped with multiple sensors, including the ability to detect nearby aircraft transponders, making it capable of flying safely in busy urban airspace, even beyond the operator’s line of sight.

Zipline’s aircraft have a solid safety record, having flown over 125 million miles. I was curious about how locals in Texas felt about these automated deliveries, especially in a state where one might expect some skepticism towards drones flying overhead. Rowlett Mayor Jeff Winget shared that, surprisingly, there wasn’t as much opposition as anticipated. “Most people were really pretty excited about it,” he said.

The approval process for Zipline took about five months, aided by the company’s efforts to minimize its operational footprint. After receiving my lunch, I visited one of Zipline’s Zipping Points, where deliveries are prepared. This particular one was located in a Wendy’s parking lot, but they can be set up quickly wherever needed.

These Zipping Points are intriguing structures, resembling white kiosks with metal arms reaching skyward. Ideally, retail staff can load a delivery and step away, allowing the P2 to hover above, drop the Zip to collect the package, and then head off to the recipient. However, during my visit, I noticed that some deliveries required assistance from Zipline employees to ensure everything went smoothly. While a few attempts were needed for some pickups, all deliveries were dispatched promptly.

Even on a blustery day, when drones typically make a lot of noise battling the wind, the sound from the traffic overhead was more noticeable than the drones themselves. The P2 hovers high enough that it’s surprisingly quiet, far less intrusive than your average consumer drone.

Feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Mayor Winget, and the low noise levels should help maintain that goodwill as the service grows. However, there have been some mixed reactions. John Erik Ege, the Texas director of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), mentioned that a few residents have reported sightings since Zipline began operations. One report described a strange object that lowered something straight down before disappearing, while another involved a similar “mother ship” deploying a smaller drone. “She was frustrated that folks at work and friends ridiculed her. This is unfortunate. She did actually witness something,” Ege noted.

That “something” was, of course, a delivery drone. While this isn’t reminiscent of last year’s drone scare in New Jersey, MUFON representatives in Houston and Phoenix should prepare, as those cities are next in line for Zipline’s service.

As for my lunch? It was fresher and hotter than any burrito delivery I’ve ever had, a noticeable upgrade from traditional delivery services. Ordering through the Zipline app was as easy as using Uber Eats. My burrito came with a delivery fee of just $0.99, plus a capped 20-percent service fee. And no, you don’t need to tip the drone. If burritos aren’t your thing, you can also order from Blaze Pizza, Buffalo Wild Wings, Crumbl, Little Caesars, Walmart, and Wendy’s.

In the retail drone delivery arena, Zipline’s main competitor is Alphabet’s Wing, which also partners with Walmart. While Wing has achieved 750,000 deliveries, that’s still less than half of Zipline’s total. Amazon Prime Air recently halted its testing after a couple of crashes, leaving Zipline with a significant lead as it expands into Houston and Phoenix. This success has helped the company reach a valuation of $7.6 billion following a recent $600 million funding round.

Yes, this is yet another instance of robots encroaching on human jobs, but it’s one I can support. In a place like Rowlett, food deliveries typically come by car, and the idea of someone driving a 4,000-pound vehicle just to deliver a burrito seems a bit excessive.