Wonder is expanding its partnership with autonomous technology developer Avride to scale AI-powered robot delivery across Jersey City and Hoboken in New Jersey, Arlington County in Virginia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The expansion brings autonomous delivery to dozens of additional merchants on the Grubhub marketplace, including at least one Wonder location in each market, with more to be added over time. This marks a significant step toward bringing the technology to dense urban neighborhoods at scale.
The expansion builds on strong momentum from Wonder and Avride’s Jersey City pilot, which launched a year ago in October 2025 and marked the first time Wonder enabled autonomous delivery on its marketplace beyond Grubhub’s college campus operations.
Since launch, nearly 20 percent of deliveries from Wonder’s Jersey City location have been completed by robots. The program has demonstrated strong customer adoption and the potential for autonomous delivery to operate reliably at scale in urban markets.
PJ Poykayil, EVP of customer delivery operations at Wonder, says: “This expansion reflects our belief that the future of food delivery will be faster, smarter and increasingly powered by technology.
“As we scale our Jersey City pilot and expand to Hoboken, Arlington and Philadelphia, we’re bringing autonomous delivery to more merchants on the Grubhub marketplace – unlocking new efficiencies while creating a more seamless experience for customers.”
Through the expanded partnership, customers ordering from eligible restaurants on the Grubhub marketplace may be assigned a robot for delivery if they opt in and their address falls within the service area. The experience is seamlessly integrated into the Grubhub platform, enabling customers to use the same familiar ordering flow.
For restaurants that opt in, robot delivery offers a simple way to enhance operations without added complexity. By helping streamline pickups and improve efficiency during peak periods, the technology supports a smoother experience for both staff and customers.
Restaurants can easily integrate robot delivery with access to training and support. The solution helps restaurants meet evolving consumer expectations while offering a unique, innovative delivery experience at no additional cost.
Catherine Willhoit, co-founder of The Hive, says: “Saying yes to Grubhub and Avride was a no-brainer. As a growing coffee and bakeshop, we’re always looking for ways to give our customers a great experience from our counter to their front door.
“The robots are easy for our team to use and efficiently deliver our orders, and we’d be lying if we said we weren’t slightly excited every time we load an order into their cabins. It’s also pretty wild watching our cinnamon rolls and drinks cruise through the streets of Jersey City all on their own.”
Wonder and Avride have worked diligently to responsibly introduce and scale autonomous delivery, ensuring the program centers on local standards and community needs. Through ongoing collaboration, the partners have aligned on safety protocols, operating guidelines and thoughtful deployment to integrate the robots seamlessly into existing urban infrastructure.
That approach reflects a shared commitment to innovation, accessibility and enhancing the delivery experience for all members of the community.
The robots deployed in this expansion feature Avride’s latest fully autonomous driving technology, designed to navigate complex urban environments with precision.
Powered by AI, the robots can make real-time routing decisions, adapt to dynamic sidewalk conditions and operate in varied weather environments completely on their own. Their compact design and agile four-wheel chassis allow for smooth maneuverability – even in dense, high-traffic areas.
Dmitry Polishchuk, CEO of Avride, says: “We are excited to build on our successful track record with Wonder as we expand our collaboration with both Wonder and the Grubhub marketplace.
“Our fully autonomous technology, combined with our extensive experience operating delivery robots in dense urban environments, ensures that we can deliver a reliable, seamless service for our partners at scale.”
As restaurants increasingly prioritize faster, more efficient and cost-effective delivery solutions, efforts to expand robot delivery will play an increasingly pivotal role in transforming last-mile delivery.
Through Grubhub’s campus offering, Wonder and Avride continue to operate on dozens of campuses across the country, including the nation’s largest single-site robot food delivery program at The Ohio State University, with 120 robots completing up to 2,000 deliveries per day.
