After drone-delivering 100,000 food orders across the skies of North Texas and North Carolina, Flytrex has taken the first step in its planned Dallas-Fort Worth expansion.

The Tel Aviv, Israeli-based airbone food delivery service began buzzing North Texas skies in 2022, partnering with Dallas-based Brinker International to deliver chicken wings from a Chili’s in Granbury, 30 miles southwest of Fort Worth.  

Since then, the startup has made 35,000 food deliveries in Granbury alone, and claims it’s the only company to achieve 100,000 drone food deliveries in the U.S. And where Flytrex goes, people seem to want to try it out: 70% of the households in their delivery areas use the service, the company says.

A Flytrex drone making its approach for a delivery. [Photo: Flytrex]

Flytrex drones can reach speeds of up to 32 miles per hour and cover up to five-mile round trips. Classified by the FAA as commercial general aviation aircraft, they’re backed by a “completely autonomous” system with multiple redundancies. The average Flytrex delivery time? It’s four minutes and 30 seconds—”significantly faster than the typical 8-12 minutes for a car delivery without traffic, and 15-20 minutes with traffic,” the company added.

When the drone reaches a customer’s home, the bottom of the drone drops open and a wire lowers the customer’s package 80 feet to the ground, gently dropping it off.

Partnering with Jersey Mike’s and Little Caesars—and planning 12 new DFW “stations” by 2025

Yariv Bash, co-founder and CEO of Flytrex. [Photo: Flytrex]

Today Flytrex announced new restaurant partnerships—and a new DFW delivery city. 

The service is now delivering orders from Jersey Mike’s Subs and Little Caesars Pizza, in addition to Papa Johns, Raising Cane’s, and “several other” restaurant brands.

Flytrex Co-Founder and CEO Yariv Bash told Dallas Innovates his company recently opened its second DFW “station” in Little Elm, a suburb just west of Frisco, and is “already serving thousands of community members.”

“We plan on expanding our services to other venues in the following months,” Bash added. “Our focus remains on delivering unparalleled convenience and efficiency to underserved suburban communities.”

Bash said Flytrex plans to open two additional stations in the DFW area “by the end of this year”—and 10 more by the end of 2025.

“Our growth strategy is focused on bringing fast, efficient drone delivery to suburban markets where traditional delivery methods often fall short,” he told us. “We’re committed to meeting the needs of these communities with our innovative and scalable service.”

More restaurant partners could be zooming skyward soon, too. Bash said Flytrex is “adding new partners weekly.” 

Flytrex updates follows news of FAA green light for Wing and Zipline

The Flytrex news updates come just weeks after the FAA said it had authorized Wing Aviation and Zipline International to fly commercial drones in the same Dallas-area airspace without visual observers—a first in aviation history. The companies are drone delivery partners for Walmart, which announced in January that it’s now offering drone delivery for up to 75% of Dallas-Fort Worth residents.

Customers get their delivery, the drone’s wire reels up into the drone and it returns to its home base delivery pad. [Photo: Flytrex]

Innovating to overcome ‘delivery challenges’

“Drone delivery is rapidly becoming a staple in the U.S., as it satisfies Americans’ hunger for instant gratification while benefiting the community and the planet with less road congestion and pollution,” Bash said in a statement. “Flytrex continuously innovates to overcome delivery challenges, ensuring our drones can handle anything from large and heavy family meals to bad weather and oddly shaped packages, making us pioneers in the practical implementation of drone technology in daily life.”

That seems to have worked out for restaurant brands like Jersey Mike’s.

“At Jersey Mike’s Subs, we’re focused on bringing our customers the best experience—and that includes delivery that’s convenient for their schedules and preferences,” Scott Scherer, CIO, of Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, said in a statement. “Partnering with Flytrex, our fans can enjoy our authentic, fresh sliced/fresh grilled sub sandwiches how and when they want them.”

For more about how Bash went from being co-founder and team leader of SpaceIL—a Tel Aviv nonprofit chasing the $20 million Google Lunar XPRIZE—to delivering sub sandwiches in Little Elm with Flytrex, read our 2022 profile.

To see a map of Flytrex drone delivery zones in Granbury and Little Elm or to download the delivery app, go here.

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