DoorDash customers on the Gold Coast can now have gnocchi delivered by a robot, as Serve Robotics and DoorDash launch Australia’s first footpath robot delivery service. The pilot starts in the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct, where Gnocchi Gnocchi in Southport is the first participating restaurant. More local restaurants will join in the coming weeks, with community feedback helping determine any future expansion. Ben Cleary-Corradini, Co-founder of Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers, said, “We’re incredibly excited to be the first restaurant in Australia to offer robot deliveries through this partnership with Serve Robotics and DoorDash. At Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers, we’ve always embraced technology and innovation to make great food more accessible and convenient for our customers. “We see this as an exciting glimpse into the future of food delivery and customer service, particularly for our Pronto takeaway-focused stores. “Whether someone is enjoying our gnocchi for the first time or ordering their usual favourite, our goal remains the same: delicious food, warm Italian hospitality and a great customer experience. If a friendly robot can help us deliver on that, even better!” Customers order through the DoorDash app as usual. If a participating restaurant is nearby and a robot is available, robot delivery will appear as an option at checkout, and customers can choose whether to use it. Once selected, the robot collects the food from the restaurant and travels along the footpath to the customer’s address. A notification lets the customer know it has arrived, with a unique code to open the robot’s secure compartment and collect the order. In the most sci-fi move ever, the robots will travel at a walking pace and give way to pedestrians. They are designed to navigate footpaths safely, with trained remote supervisors available to help when needed. Each robot also displays a contact number for members of the public with questions. The service is intended for short trips in relatively dense urban areas, while drivers take on longer-distance orders. It forms part of DoorDash’s approach to using different delivery technologies to give customers and local businesses more flexible and efficient delivery options. Simon Rossi, Vice President at DoorDash APAC, said, “DoorDash is focused on building a delivery platform that gives customers and merchants more choice, while continuing to support the Dashers who are central to our platform.” “This pilot program will help us understand how footpath robots can complement existing delivery options for short, local trips creating another convenient way for Gold Coast customers to access the neighbourhood businesses they love.” For participating restaurants, the pilot offers another way to reach nearby customers, particularly during busy periods. What Serve and DoorDash learn during the trial will help determine how the service grows and whether delivery zones change. City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate welcomed the service. “We know that the Gold Coast’s future economy will be shaped by technologies like robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, and we want our city to be a place where those technologies are developed, tested and put to work,” said he said. “Having Serve Robotics choose the Gold Coast for its first operation outside the United States is a strong vote of confidence in our city and the innovation ecosystem we are building. Invest Gold Coast is helping drive that future economy by attracting global technology companies, connecting them with local partners and creating opportunities that translate into investment, skills and jobs for our city.” At the end of each shift, the robots return to Serve’s operations depot at Griffith University, the first university to host a Serve operations team. Serve and Griffith are also exploring internships and early-career opportunities for students and graduates in robotics, autonomous robot operations and field engineering. Craig Rowsell, Director Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct, said, “It is fitting that the first robotic food deliveries in Australia will be made within one of the country’s leading innovation districts in the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct, home to over 3,000 residents and 20,000 students. Serve Robotics joins other global technology companies basing operations in our Precinct,” The Gold Coast launch is Serve’s first operation outside the United States. Its robots have completed deliveries for thousands of restaurants in US cities including Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta. Serve and DoorDash have worked together in the United States since 2025. “This is the first time we’ve taken Serve beyond the United States, and the Gold Coast is the right place to start. It has the walkable neighbourhoods this technology is built for and a city that has shown it welcomes innovation. After delivering for more than 4,500 restaurants at home, we’re here to give local restaurants a new way to reach customers and to earn community trust one delivery at a time,” said Ali Kashani, CEO and Co-founder of Serve Robotics. Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.