Serve Robotics and DoorDash Launch Australia’s First Footpath Robot Deliveries on the Gold Coast

A robot could soon bring dinner to your door on the Gold Coast. Serve Robotics and DoorDash have launched Australia’s first footpath robot delivery service, starting in the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct in Queensland. The launch, announced on 29 October 2026, marks Serve’s first operation outside the United States.

What has launched on the Gold Coast

The pilot begins with a single restaurant: Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers in Southport. DoorDash customers ordering from that restaurant can now choose to have their order delivered by a Serve robot, when a robot is available and the delivery address is nearby. More local restaurants are expected to join in the coming weeks.

The Gold Coast was not picked by chance. Serve’s chief executive and co-founder Ali Kashani pointed to the city’s walkable neighbourhoods and its welcome for new technology. The Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct, home to more than 3,000 residents and 20,000 students according to the precinct, gives the pilot a dense area with short trips, which suits footpath robots well.

The project has backing from the City of Gold Coast and Griffith University. The university hosts Serve’s operations depot, and it is the first university to host a Serve operations team. Serve and Griffith University are also exploring internships and early career roles for students in robotics, autonomy operations and field engineering.

How a robot delivery works

Ordering stays the same as a normal DoorDash order. Customers order through the DoorDash app as usual. When a participating merchant is nearby and a robot is free, robot delivery appears as an option at checkout. Customers can opt in or out of robot deliveries, so nobody is forced to use one.

Once an order is selected, the robot collects it from the restaurant and travels along the footpath to the customer’s address. The robots move at walking pace and are designed to give way to pedestrians. Trained remote supervisors can assist when needed, and each robot displays a contact number for members of the public who have questions.

When the robot arrives, the customer gets a notification along with a unique code. That code opens the robot’s secure compartment so the customer can collect the order. At the end of each shift, the robots return to the depot at Griffith University.

Why robots, and why now

DoorDash describes the pilot as part of a broader multi-modal delivery strategy. The idea is simple: robots handle short, local trips in dense urban areas, while human drivers cover longer distance orders. That split could help during busy periods, when nearby restaurants need another way to reach customers close by.

Serve brings experience from the United States, where its robots have delivered for more than 4,000 restaurants. Serve says it has deployed more than 2,000 robots across the United States, reaching a population of about 3 million. Its robots already operate in cities including Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta. Serve and DoorDash have worked together in the United States since 2025.

For local restaurants, the appeal is a new way to reach nearby customers without adding delivery staff. Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers, which started as a two person market stall in Brisbane and now has 16 locations across Queensland and New South Wales, said it sees robot delivery as a glimpse of the future of food delivery, particularly for its takeaway focused stores.

What it means for Dashers and local jobs

DoorDash has stressed that the pilot is meant to complement existing delivery options, not replace them. Simon Rossi, Vice President of DoorDash APAC, said Dashers remain central to the platform, and the pilot will help the company understand how footpath robots can support short, local trips.

City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate welcomed the launch and framed it as a vote of confidence in the city. He said the Gold Coast wants to be a place where robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems are developed, tested and put to work, and that attracting global technology companies can translate into investment, skills and jobs for the city.

The university angle matters here too. If the internship and early career plans go ahead, local students could gain hands on experience in a field that is still new in Australia. Griffith University’s Professor Bronwyn Harch described the partnership as moving autonomous delivery technology from possibility to practical application for food delivery.

What happens next

For now, this is a pilot, not a city wide rollout. DoorDash and Serve say what they learn during the pilot will shape how the service grows, including any changes to delivery zones. Community feedback will also inform future expansion, so the pace of growth will depend on how the first weeks go.

There are open questions that only real world use can answer. How do the robots cope with crowded footpaths, wet weather and roadworks? How do pedestrians react to sharing the footpath with a delivery robot? And will customers keep choosing robot delivery once the novelty fades? The answers will decide whether this stays a Gold Coast curiosity or becomes a regular sight in Australian cities.

Other Australian cities will be watching closely. If the Gold Coast pilot runs smoothly, similar services could follow in other dense, walkable areas. If problems emerge, the pilot gives regulators and councils useful evidence before any wider rollout. Either way, Australia has now joined the small group of countries testing footpath robot delivery in real neighbourhoods, and the Gold Coast is where that test begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where in Australia can I get a robot delivery?

At launch, robot deliveries are only available in the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct, starting with Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers in Southport. More local restaurants are expected to join in the coming weeks, and any expansion will depend on feedback from the pilot.

Do I have to accept a robot delivery on DoorDash?

No. Customers can opt in or out of robot deliveries. When a participating merchant is nearby and a robot is available, robot delivery appears as an option at checkout, and you can choose it or stick with a regular delivery.

How do I collect my order from the robot?

When the robot arrives, you receive a notification with a unique code. Enter that code to open the robot’s secure compartment and collect your order. The robots travel at walking pace, give way to pedestrians and are supported by trained remote supervisors.