Serve Robotics partners with Grubhub after Uber exit. Aug. 17, 2026 Updated 8:33 PM PT See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set Los Angeles Times as preferred Consumers from the Los Angeles region who order through Grubhub will soon have some of their orders delivered by four-wheeled robots. Serve Robotics, which operates 500 robots across 40 neighborhoods in Los Angeles, has partnered with food marketplace Grubhub. Through this partnership, robot delivery is now available to nearly 200 local restaurants, including Sushi Q, the Indian Kitchen and Mel & Rose. The tie-up will also launch Serve's robots in 100 Chicago restaurants and some in Virginia. The new marketplace announcement comes after Uber sold its stake in Serve. Serve was founded in 2017 as a division of Postmates and was spun out as an independent company after Uber acquired Postmates. Serve Robotics went public in 2024, with Uber as one of its backers, and has been delivering for restaurants on the Uber Eats platform. There has recently been a drop in delivery volume and disagreements over how to best utilize the robots. Uber sold its stake in Serve this year. Ali Kashani, CEO of Serve Robotics, said in an earnings call that the blowup was "caused by changes in the operating model and integration of our fleet." The quarterly delivery volumes from Uber Eats declined for the first time since 2022, prompting the company to reduce its expected 2026 revenue guidance from $26 million to $9 million to $10 million. Kashani said demand for robot delivery isn't slowing down, and the decline in revenue was due to Serve's disagreement with Uber. A Serve Robotics spokesperson said that users in the 40 L.A. neighborhoods the company currently operates in will remain unaffected, as the food delivery contract with Uber doesn't expire until early 2027. The deal with Grubhub is part of Serve's move to expand to new marketplaces. The company has also expanded to two new markets on DoorDash, San Jose and Washington. Serve earns revenue from three streams: delivery, advertising and hospital robotics. It began rolling out its hospital robot, Moxi 2.0, at healthcare systems including Providence Saint John's Health Center in Los Angeles, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Endeavor Health Edward Hospital in the Chicago area. Serve also said it is introducing a "micro depot" model as part of its Miami rollout, where instead of large warehouses that it operates, it will use established parking facilities for dispatch and maintenance, allowing it to operate cheaply. More to read. Inside the business of entertainment. The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production - and what it all means for the future. By continuing, you agree to its Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that Los Angeles Times and its third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in its Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads. Nilesh Christopher is a technology reporter for the Los Angeles Times, focusing on how artificial intelligence empowers, harms and reshapes communities. He is currently supported by the Tarbell Center for AI Journalism.

Wonder, Serve Robotics partner to expand autonomous delivery on Grubhub. Robot delivery is coming to Chicago, Los Angeles and Alexandria, Virginia, including Wonder's Potomac Yard location. Photo: Wonder August 17, 2026 Wonder Group Inc. is teaming up with Serve Robotics Inc. to bring autonomous sidewalk delivery to the Grubhub marketplace in Chicago, Los Angeles and Alexandria, Virginia, the companies announced Monday. The partnership marks Wonder's first collaboration with Serve and introduces robot delivery to Grubhub customers in the three markets. It also brings robot delivery to Wonder's Potomac Yard location in Alexandria - the multi-concept restaurant company's first site in Virginia and its first location outside New Jersey to offer the service. Under the agreement, eligible Grubhub customers ordering from participating restaurants may be matched with a Serve robot for delivery, depending on their location. The company said the experience is built into the existing Grubhub app, so customers won't need to change how they order. Robot delivery will launch with more than 100 participating merchants in Chicago and nearly 200 in Los Angeles, with more restaurants expected to join over time, according to the companies. "A year ago, our robots were delivering dinner in a handful of neighborhoods. Today they serve three of the country's largest delivery platforms," Serve Robotics co-founder and CEO Ali Kashani said in a company press release. "Every new partner puts more robots to work and every delivery makes the whole fleet smarter." Wonder EVP of Customer Delivery Operations PJ Poykayil said the deal is part of the company's effort to broaden its delivery options. "Our partnership with Serve brings autonomous delivery to Grubhub customers in Chicago, Los Angeles and Alexandria while also enabling robot delivery from our Potomac Yard location in Alexandria," Poykayil said. "As we continue to grow, partnerships like this help us expand delivery options, improve efficiency and create a more seamless mealtime experience." Wonder operates more than 25 restaurant concepts at its locations. Grubhub and Serve also unveiled Chomp, a hamburger-costumed delivery robot intended to serve as a brand mascot across Grubhub's social media channels and in promotions such as gift card giveaways and merchandise drops. Chomp is the first character launched through Serve Advertising's new Characters product, which lets brand partners design custom visual identities and conversational AI personalities for delivery robots. The announcement builds on a series of recent expansions for Serve, which has been adding partnerships with major delivery platforms and rolling out its robot fleet in new cities.

Serve Robotics finds A new delivery partner in Grubhub. The sidewalk robot maker will start fulfilling Grubhub orders in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Alexandria as its Uber Eats agreement winds down. about 1 hour ago - 2 mins What's going on here? Serve Robotics just signed a deal with Grubhub to deliver food using its sidewalk robots in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Alexandria - right as its long-running Uber Eats partnership is set to expire early next year, per Reuters. What does this mean? Serve Robotics, a San Francisco-based maker of four-wheeled delivery robots, is trying to replace a demand source that's fading. Earlier this month, it said it doesn't plan to renew its Uber Eats agreement when it ends, after Uber sold its stake and Serve pointed to declining order volumes and "differing views." Management says the lost volume can be replaced over time through Grubhub and other partners, including Do... Keep reading for free. This content is free, but you must be logged in to continue reading. Already have an account?