White Castle Again Embraces Automation

A century-plus in, White Castle is continuing to embrace the wave of the future as it prepares to test autonomous delivery with Coco Robotics and Uber Eats in Chicago.

The hamburger chain expects the offering to streamline fulfillment, reduce parking lot congestion and get food to customers faster, notes a release. The AI-powered robots have operated in Chicago since 2024, but this marks White Castle’s first deployment of robotic delivery.

When the robot arrives, customers receive an alert to meet it outside, unlock the lid via the app and collect their order. The restaurant, meanwhile, is kept in the know on real-time delivery status.

“This partnership is about driving smarter operations where it matters most,” says Chris Shaffery, vice president of operations at White Castle. “By testing Coco’s robots at a high-traffic location, we’re seeking to ease congestion, speed up service and allow our team to stay focused on quality—helping us serve more customers, more efficiently.”

White Castle is no stranger to automation, having first tested a robotic fry system in the back-of-house (also in the Chicago area) nearly five years ago. It then expanded its robotic rollout in 2022.

White Castle, founded in 1921, and based in Columbus, Ohio, owns and operates about 340 restaurants.