It sounds like an entrepreneur’s dream or a detail from a science fiction novel — robots delivering lunch as customers lounge on a Hampton Roads beach or stroll down a boardwalk.
Delivery robots already are operating in Virginia, and one Yorktown restaurateur wants to bring them to Riverwalk Landing’s waterfront. But first, he’ll need to land a deal with a robot manufacturer and persuade the county to change restrictions.
Glenn Helseth, co-owner of Carrot Tree Kitchens, envisions using robots to deliver sandwiches, wraps and desserts to beachgoers and others along the banks of the York River. It’s an idea he said he has been researching since the pandemic upended business models for restaurants across the country. Social distancing requirements led to moredelivery and curbside pickup.
Helseth, who has turned away third-party companies such as DoorDash and Uber Eats, said there’s really only one location in town condensed enough to support a delivery system.
“My population center is the beach in the summertime,” he said.
After sharing this goal with county staff, he learned York County Code, specifically section 17-71, restricts commercial activity in public spaces. Helseth appealed to the York County Board of Supervisors during its June 15 meeting to amend the ordinance.
Stemming from his request, the Board of Supervisors asked the county attorney to look into it, and York County Economic Development Authority members decided to form a committee to study commercial use of drones and robots.
It’s unlikely county officials would approve delivery robot use, at least in the short term, York County Administrator Neil Morgan said. He had questions about which companies would be allowed to use the robots and worried they would crowd pedestrians off the sidewalks.
Even so, “It’s probably something we need to figure out,” Morgan said.
He said he hopes the volunteer committee could come back with its findings in the next year or so.
Helseth said he has reached out to two delivery robot companies. He noted that a purchase could set him back tens of thousands of dollars initially, plus monthly fees. Still, he said negotiations with the companies are ongoing and he is looking into grant funding.
Virginia lawmakers and then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved statewide use of personal delivery robots in 2017. The law allows the robots to operate on sidewalks, shared-use paths and crosswalks.
Robotics company Starship Technologies pushed for the 2017 law and began operating at George Mason University in 2019 and James Madison University in 2020. Its small, six-wheeled robots carry items to customers at a maximum speed of 4 mph.
“While we are always looking to expand our service to areas that can benefit from the convenience of autonomous robot delivery, we don’t have any immediate plans for service in Hampton Roads,” a Starship spokesperson said in an email.
At the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, there simply hasn’t been any interest from business owners in using the robots, City Attorney Mark Stiles said. He said the City Council would probably craft a rule on delivery robots once interest increased.
For Helseth, delivery robots could be another way to boost business during a difficult time for restaurants across the country. Food costs have gone up and supply chain issues are rampant because of the coronavirus pandemic, he said. Additionally, he said third-party delivery companies can gobble up as much as 30% of the revenue per sale.
Helseth, who also considered delivering via aerial drones and Segways, said the campaign for delivery bots will be paused for this winter at least, since his targeted customer base is only active during the tourist season. Even so, he’s planning to host a site visit soon with one of the companies and hopes to recruit other Yorktown business owners in his plans before bringing the issue back to county government.
Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com
