5,000-Pound Cars for 5-Pound Bags: These Founders Built Something Better

Melissa Fahs, Vice President of Enterprise Partnerships at Coco Robotics, shares how autonomous delivery is changing the way restaurants get food to their customers. With Coco already completing thousands of deliveries, Fahs believes robot delivery can lower costs, protect food quality and fit seamlessly into restaurant operations.

Watch now to learn how autonomous delivery can lower costs, protect food quality and fit seamlessly into restaurant operations.

Sponsored by:

• TOAST AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Chapters:

[01:26] - Why Autonomous Delivery Is Here Now

[02:09] - Why Use a 5,000-Pound Car for Food Delivery?

[05:41] - Why the “Last Mile” Is Broken

[10:22] - 500K Deliveries and 1 Million Miles

[12:22] - Helping Restaurants Understand Autonomous Delivery

SPONSORS:

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

• Toast AllIn1 Restaurant POS

PEPSICO IS A SPONSOR OF THE RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS PODCAST —

Restaurant Influencers is proud to have PepsiCo as a sponsor of this episode. Partnering with PepsiCo Foodservice helps restaurant operators drive sustainable growth through smarter digital experiences, AI-backed menu optimization, and tools designed to create more profitable online orders.

Check out PepsiCo Foodservice

Episode Links:

Melissa Fahs LinkedIn

Coco Robotics

Coco Robotics LinkedIn

Coco Robotics Instagram

Coco Robotics X

Key Takeaways:

Autonomous Delivery Is Already Here: Coco Robotics is doing 1,000 deliveries a day in Los Angeles and has completed more than 500,000 deliveries across more than 1 million miles. Melissa Fahs says the technology is no longer something restaurants need to wait for.

The Last Mile Needs a Better Model: Fahs believes using traditional cars to deliver small food orders creates unnecessary costs. Coco was built specifically for delivery, with direct restaurant-to-customer trips designed to reduce costs while protecting food quality.

Technology Has to Fit the Restaurant: Fahs says restaurants are already complicated operations, so autonomous delivery can’t create more work. Coco requires no capital investment, maintenance or cleaning from operators. Restaurants load the order, and Coco handles the delivery.

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ABOUT MELISSA FAHS —

Melissa Fahs is Vice President of Enterprise Partnerships at Coco, overseeing advertising, growth, and go-to-market strategy. She brings 25+ years of experience at the intersection of marketing, technology, and consumer behavior. Prior to Coco, Melissa held senior leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company, where she led brand, digital, and customer marketing. She’s advised global brands and startups on innovation in foodservice, commerce, and delivery.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media