White Castle, the iconic fast-food hamburger chain, is introducing autonomous food deliveries through Uber Eats, starting with a pilot program in Chicago. This marks the first time White Castle is using robotic delivery, a move made possible through its collaboration with Uber Eats and Coco Robotics, an urban robot delivery platform. While White Castle has offered delivery through its own app using Uber Direct since 2023, this new step integrates Coco’s zero-emission robots directly into Uber Eats to bring food to customers faster and with less congestion. The initiative is aimed at improving efficiency, reducing traffic in parking lots, and keeping staff focused on food quality.
The integration uses Checkmate technology, which synchronizes White Castle’s menu and in-store POS system with Uber Eats, while also tracking the status of Coco deliveries. Customers who place orders from the participating Chicago location may be matched with a Coco robot directly in the Uber Eats app. When the robot arrives, customers receive an alert, unlock the delivery compartment through the app, and pick up their order without additional fees or tipping. Uber Eats executives praised this collaboration as a way to simplify operations for restaurants while advancing autonomous delivery technology. Coco Robotics leaders noted that the company is already completing hundreds of thousands of orders and views this expansion with White Castle as a major step forward in national adoption of robotic delivery. Uber Eats has also been testing Coco robots in Miami and Los Angeles, while White Castle, founded in 1921 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, continues to innovate as it operates over 350 restaurants nationwide.