New Jersey is on the verge of a new chapter in food delivery. Grubhub, in partnership with drone technology company Dexa and food hall platform Wonder, has announced the state’s first commercial drone-powered food delivery program, set to launch on March 18 in Green Brook, Somerset County. The three-month pilot also marks the first time drone food delivery will be tested anywhere in the Northeast — a region that has largely been absent from the rapid expansion of autonomous delivery technology playing out in markets like Texas and the Sun Belt over the past several years.
The announcement was made on March 11, with Grubhub confirming that eligible customers within a 2.5-mile radius of Wonder’s Green Brook location on Route 22 will be able to select drone delivery directly through the Grubhub app. Orders are expected to arrive faster than traditional delivery methods, and customers will not pay any fees beyond standard delivery and service charges already applied to the platform.
The program centers on Dexa’s DE-2020 aircraft, a fully automated delivery drone that is both designed and assembled in the United States. Dexa is one of only four companies in the country that manufactures and operates delivery drones under Federal Aviation Administration Part 135 Air Carrier certification, which permits commercial drone delivery operations under strict FAA safety standards. The company has also received FAA approval to fly beyond visual line of sight in dense metropolitan areas — a significant distinction that makes its operations in a densely populated state like New Jersey both technically and regulatorily feasible.
During each delivery, the drone will not land at the customer’s location. Instead, it will remain airborne while lowering the order to the ground via a controlled tether system. Before every flight, trained Dexa crew members will verify that all items are correctly packaged according to food safety standards. Flight paths are designed to minimize noise and disruption for nearby residents while maintaining full compliance with aviation safety requirements.
Customers will manage the entire experience through the Grubhub app, which will provide real-time GPS tracking of the drone, estimated arrival notifications, and order confirmations. The company says the goal is to make drone delivery feel as familiar and intuitive as a standard Grubhub order.
Wonder’s Green Brook location serves as the operational hub for the pilot. The restaurant concept operates a multi-brand food hall model, offering customers access to 15 different restaurant concepts, all prepared on demand within a single facility. That centralized model pairs naturally with drone logistics, as all orders dispatch from one location, reducing complexity and improving efficiency for aerial delivery operations.
Abhishek “PJ” Poykayil, Senior Vice President of Customer Delivery Operations at Wonder and Grubhub, described the initiative as a meaningful step forward for delivery technology. He pointed to the combination of Grubhub’s marketplace infrastructure, Wonder’s culinary platform, and Dexa’s drone capabilities as the foundation for what he called a faster and more efficient experience for New Jersey diners.
Beth Flippo, Chief Executive Officer of Dexa, framed the launch in broader terms, stating that the company views drone delivery as moving past the experimental phase and into the stage of building scalable, real-world operations. She noted that dense, active regions like New Jersey represent both a challenge and a major opportunity for last-mile logistics, where autonomous delivery has the potential to reduce traffic congestion and improve the speed and freshness of meals.
Ahead of the March 18 launch, Grubhub and Dexa will host a public community event on March 16 at Wonder’s Green Brook location, featuring live drone demonstrations at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time. A rain date has been scheduled for March 17 at the same times, giving local residents a preview of the technology before the program goes live.
