Less than two weeks after the mega Slurpee Fiftee event, 7-Eleven is shaking up the food world again with another Slurpee-themed innovation.
According to TechCrunch, the convenience store chain recently partnered with a tech startup called Flirtey to deliver Slurpees by drone. The inaugural delivery took place in Reno, Nevada, on July 10, and consisted of ferrying an order of Slurpees, a chicken sandwich, hot coffee, candy and doughnuts from a 7-Eleven store to a family’s home.
The shocking news is made even more mind-boggling when you consider the fact that the Slurpee stunt constitutes the first drone delivery to a customer’s home in the U.S., emphasizing the growing symbiosis between technology and food.
Flirtey, the company that built the Slurpee-delivering drone in question, is a privately held business with the mission of creating and flying drones that can be used in everything from humanitarian aid to retail. According to Flirtey CEO Matt Sweeney, the company is responsible for building their own drones, software, and even the packaging in which their flying machines deliver goods.
While there is no question that the Slurpee delivery was a path-breaking novelty, 7-Eleven has legitimate plans to offer delivery of its products by drone on a larger scale in the future. Despite the fact that no date has been set for the launch of a widespread drone delivery system, the company believes that the service would be especially useful to families for whom a trip to a store can become a hassle or inconvenience.
Following the successful drone delivery, Sweeney further commented that the Slurpee-themed event represents a sign of “rapid progress” in the path to mainstream drone deliveries.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is expected to put new drone delivery rules into effect in late August, paving the way for instant Slurpee and doughnut deliveries for everyone!