delivery bots, assemble!

Domino's powers up Houston's first robot delivery in The Heights

Look for the Nuro R2 on the roads of Woodland Heights.

Courtesy of Domino's Pizza, Inc.

The relentless march of progress has come for pizza delivery drivers. Domino's announced it will begin testing a pizza delivery robot in Houston this week.

First announced in 2019, the pizza giant has partnered with Nuro to utilize a self-driving car for deliveries from its Woodlands Heights location (3209 Houston Ave.). When a customer places an order from that location, they will have the option to select delivery via Nuro R2.

Once they've ordered online, customers will receive a text message with a PIN and an update on the R2's location. When the robot arrives, simply enter the number on a touchscreen to retrieve that Ultimate Pepperoni pizza and Stuffed Cheesy Bread.

How customers respond to the program remains to be seen. Perhaps they'll miss the convenience of having an actual person ring the doorbell with a piping hot pizza in hand. Then again, robots don't receive tips or want to engage in awkward small talk while you sign the receipt.

"There is still so much for our brand to learn about the autonomous delivery space. This program will allow us to better understand how customers respond to the deliveries, how they interact with the robot and how it affects store operations," said Dennis Maloney, Domino's senior vice president and chief innovation officer, in a statement. The growing demand for great-tasting pizza creates the need for more deliveries, and we look forward to seeing how autonomous delivery can work along with Domino's existing delivery experts to better support the customers' needs."

Nuro's self-driving cars are a familiar presence on Houston's roads. Back in 2019, Nuro tested Toyata Priuses equipped with its technology for grocery delivery. The fully self-driving R2 has been in use by both Kroger and CVS for deliveries in some neighborhoods, CultureMap sister site InnovationMap reports.

"We're excited to introduce our autonomous delivery bots to a select set of Domino's customers in Houston," Nuro co-founder and president Dave Ferguson added. We can't wait to see what they think."

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rolling into Town & Country

Buzzy East Coast bagel bakery sets opening date for first Houston shop

Photo by Jen Goldberg

PopUp Bagels will open on Friday, June 12.

A rapidly-growing East Coast bagel chain has set an opening date for its first Houston location. PopUp Bagels will open on Friday, June 12, the company announced.

Located at 700 Town and Country Blvd (suite 2640), PopUp Bagels teased its Houston plans with a window wrap in February. It joins two locations in Dallas. Overall, Texas franchisee Lone Star Bagels plans to open more than 10 locations statewide, according to press materials.

PopUp Bagels has a somewhat unusual business model. Unlike most of Houston’s locally-owned bagels shop, it doesn’t serve bagel sandwiches — or even toast or slice bagels for its customers. Instead, customers are encouraged to “grip, rip, and dip” their bagels directly into the spreads.

Similarly, PopUp Bagels only offers five options: plain, salt, poppy, sesame, and everything. They can be matched with one of six spreads: plain cream cheese, salted butter, scallion cream cheese, and rotating options that currently include truffle cream cheese and hot pickle butter.

Finally, PopUp bagels doesn’t sell individual bagels. Diners must purchase a minimum of three bagels and a schmear for $15. A dozen bagels and two schmears costs $46. As a point of comparison, bagels at Houston’s Bagel Shop Bakery can be purchased individually for $2 each or $25 for a baker’s dozen (13 bagels) with two 8-ounce containers of cream cheese.

Despite these policies, PopUp Bagels has amassed a devoted following for its crispy texture, airy interior, and dense coating of seeds. Its won “Best Bagel” at the Brooklyn Bagel Fest in 2021 and 2022 and is ranked as one of the 17 best bagels in New York by the New York Times. Since being acquired by equity growth firm Stripes in 2023, it has announced plans to open more than 300 locations nationwide and counts a number of celebrities, including Houston Texans legend JJ Watt, among its investors.

PopUp Bagels will celebrate its grand opening from 8-11 am on Friday, June 12, The event will feature a DJ and a limited edition spicy queso cream cheese. In addition, 50 percent of proceeds will be donated to the JJ Watt Foundation.

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