Drone Delivery is Coming to One North Texas Town in a Major Way — Back to the Future in Granbury?

The promise of drone delivery has been dangling there since George Jetson delivered his son Elroy to Little Dipper School and his daughter Judy to Orbit High. All while his wife Jane grabbed his wallet and dropped herself into a shopping center in the 1962 opening sequence of The Jetsons. All travelled via drone pod.

While some of the classic, animated series’ farfetched and futuristic advances have actually come to pass ― like smart watches, jetpacks (though nothing like The Jetsons imagined it) and holograms (in limited uses) ― drone technology could surpass them all. (We still don’t seem any closer to flying cars, though).

Granbury is set to become the first city in Texas to get regular food delivery by drone. The North Texas town about 40 minutes from Fort Worth is embracing the idea of drone life with Flytrex.

Flytrex was first established as Flytrex Aviation in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2013. It has been improving its technology ever since successfully launching the world’s first fully autonomous urban drone delivery system in Reykjavik, Iceland in 2017. Flytex has been working with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, trying to tackle the challenges facing drone delivery in the United States since 2020.

After working in three North Carolina cities — Fayetteville, Raeford and Holly Springs — Flytex’s ultrafast drones received a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This will enable it to expand its delivery service to 10,000 homes in cities across North Carolina.

Now, Flytrex is ready to take on the Texas market, with a little help from well-known Dallas-based brand Brinker International. The restaurant industry juggernaut owns, operates, or franchises more than 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries. Its restaurants include Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy — and two virtual brands in It’s Just Wings and Maggiano’s Italian Classics.

“With a focus on guest experience and convenience – alongside our killer wings – this new outpost in partnership with Flytrex is another exciting step in the right direction,” Brinker International senior vice president Wade Allen says in a statement.

Flytrex has already completed thousands of drone deliveries of food orders from It’s Just Wings to residents in North Carolina. Next drop, Granbury.

The Granbury Drone Life

The new drone delivery service will be based in Granbury, with flight times of just five minutes.

Having already completed thousands of drone deliveries ― that’s more deliveries via drone than any other company in the United States, according to its promotional materials ― Flytrex is bringing food and grocery orders via drone to front and backyards in this North Texas town. In fact, Flytrex has already begun delivery in Granbury.

The Flytrex service is operating in cooperation with longtime partner Causey Aviation Unmanned under the newly granted FAA waiver, which allows for a delivery radius of one nautical mile. These drones can now reach thousands of potential homes.

Eligible households are now able to opt into the service and order food via the Flytrex app. The food is dropped from the drones into a customer’s front or backyard. The customer just goes out and picks it up. If you live in Granbury and want to see if you are eligible, simply download the app.

“We’re thrilled to be soaring into the Lone Star State – an outsized achievement for ultrafast home delivery,” Flytrex CEO and founder Yariv Bash says in a statement. “After establishing drone delivery as a preferred option in North Carolina, we are excited to bring our unrivaled speed and convenience to Texas, where big things happen.”

Bash believes suburban areas are ripe for drone delivery, since traditional couriers are often only able to make around two deliveries per hour in these underserved neighborhoods. Drone delivery can mean better, faster and more sustainable food delivery at more sustainable prices.

Flytrex’s goal is to continue expanding nationwide.

Does this mark a new era of on-demand drone delivery? George Jetson would approve.