Wonder expands Avride partnership for more autonomous deliveries on Grubhub Marketplace

Vertically integrated food technology platform provider Wonder announced an expansion of 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 companies said their expanded partnership 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. They said that this marks a significant step toward bringing the technology to dense urban neighborhoods at scale.

Successful autonomous delivery pilot sparks expansion

Wonder and Avride said that the expansion builds on strong momentum from their Jersey City pilot, which launched in October 2025 and marked the first time Wonder enabled autonomous delivery on its marketplace beyond Grubhub’s college campus operations. Since launch, the companies said that nearly 20% of deliveries from Wonder’s Jersey City location have been completed by robots. Wonder and Avride said that the program has demonstrated strong customer adoption and the potential for autonomous delivery to operate reliably at scale in urban markets.

“This expansion reflects our belief that the future of food delivery will be faster, smarter and increasingly powered by technology,” said PJ Poykayil, EVP of customer delivery operations at Wonder. “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, Wonder and Avride said that 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 companies said that the process is seamlessly integrated into the Grubhub platform, enabling customers to use the same familiar ordering flow.

For restaurants that opt in, Wonder and Avride said that robot delivery offers a simple way to enhance operations without added complexity. By helping streamline pickups and improve efficiency during peak periods, the companies said that this technology supports a smoother experience for both staff and customers. Additionally, Wonder and Avride said that restaurants can easily integrate robot delivery with access to training and support.

“Saying yes to Grubhub and Avride was a no-brainer,” said Catherine Willhoit, co-founder of The Hive. “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 said that they have worked diligently to responsibly introduce and scale autonomous delivery, ensuring the program centers on local standards and community needs. Through ongoing collaboration, the companies said that their partners have aligned on safety protocols, operating guidelines and thoughtful deployment to integrate the robots seamlessly into existing urban infrastructure. The companies said that this approach reflects a shared commitment to innovation, accessibility and enhancing the delivery experience for all members of the community.

Avride said that the robots deployed in this expansion feature its latest fully autonomous driving technology, designed to navigate complex urban environments with precision. Powered by AI, Avride said that the robots can make real-time routing decisions, adapt to dynamic sidewalk conditions and operate in varied weather environments completely on their own. The company said that the compact design and agile four-wheel chassis allow for smooth maneuverability - even in dense, high-traffic areas.

"We are excited to build on our successful track record with Wonder as we expand our collaboration with both Wonder and the Grubhub marketplace,” said Dmitry Polishchuk, CEO of Avride. “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, Wonder and Avride said that more efficient and cost-effective delivery technologies, alongside efforts to expand robot delivery, will play an increasingly pivotal role in transforming last-mile delivery. Through Grubhub’s campus offering, Wonder and Avride said that they will 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.

Avride announced that it had completed 100,000 autonomous rides on Uber in August 2026.