Robot Invasion: Your Groceries Now Delivered by Bots

• Coco Robotics has expanded its service from restaurant meals to groceries and everyday essentials through a new partnership with DoorDash's DashMart.
• The autonomous delivery service is now live in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami, with the company planning to deploy 10,000 more bots nationwide.
• Public reaction in L.A. is sharply divided, with some residents embracing the bots while others have actively vandalized them, raising questions about the future of automated services.
• Having already completed over 500,000 deliveries, the company's expansion signals a massive and potentially disruptive shift in urban logistics and the gig economy.

The Robots Are Coming for Your Groceries

The familiar pink and orange delivery bots from Coco Robotics, once known for bringing hot meals to your door, are now taking on a much bigger role. In a significant expansion, the company has partnered with DoorDash’s online convenience store, DashMart, to deliver groceries and everyday essentials across Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami.

This move elevates the cooler-sized robots from a restaurant novelty to a key player in everyday commerce. Residents in neighborhoods from Santa Monica to Silver Lake will now see these bots fulfilling orders that can include anything from fresh produce to cleaning products and electronics from major retailers like Target, Lowe’s, and Petco.

A City of Admirers and Vandals

The increased presence of Coco's bots on L.A. sidewalks has been met with a mix of fascination and frustration. While many Angelenos find the machines endearing and convenient, others have expressed their annoyance through acts of vandalism and interference. This polarizing reception highlights the growing pains of integrating autonomous technology into public spaces.

Despite the mixed reactions, the company's growth is undeniable. Coco Robotics has already completed over 500,000 zero-emission deliveries, with its fleet traveling a collective one million miles. The Santa Monica-based company, which started as a UCLA dorm room project in 2020, now operates hundreds of robots in Los Angeles alone.

The Future of Delivery and the Human Element

As the fleet grows, so do concerns about the impact on human jobs. However, Coco co-founder and CEO Zach Rash claims there is more than enough demand to go around. He argues that the technology's main impact is making delivery more affordable for everyone.

“Getting groceries delivered to you is an amazing convenience for a lot of reasons,” Rash stated. “If we can use our technology to make that much more affordable to people, I think volumes will absolutely grow.”

Rapid Growth and Autonomous Advancements

Fueled by this vision, the company has ambitious plans to deploy 10,000 more robots across the country in 2026. While many bots were initially operated remotely by humans, an increasing number now navigate city streets autonomously with the help of artificial intelligence. Facing competition from other players like Serve Robotics, Coco is focused on aggressive expansion to meet what it sees as insatiable demand.

“We’ll be opening up a lot of new markets to meet growing demand,” Rash said. “We’re going to need more robots.” For residents of Los Angeles, the robot delivery revolution is no longer a distant concept—it's rolling down a sidewalk near you.