Project Hearth explores how autonomous delivery could extend a quick-service restaurant’s drive-thru operation beyond the traditional customer journey. The concept integrates order-ahead technology with a branded Nuro R3 autonomous vehicle, dual-temperature storage and secure curbside pickup to deliver multiple hot and cold orders across a university campus.

Using a design-thinking and stage-gate methodology, I translated the initial opportunity into a practical pilot framework covering the end-to-end guest experience, restaurant operations, vehicle loading, routing, food safety, branding and partner activation. The plan defines entry and exit criteria, measurable success targets, stakeholder responsibilities, implementation phases and potential operational risks—including concepts for overcoming drive-thru clearance and loading challenges.

The result is a scalable innovation roadmap designed to test customer acceptance and operational feasibility before advancing to companion-robot delivery and broader market rollout.