“Free Lunch on the Robots” Comes to Chicago’s 6th Ward
“Free Lunch on the Robots” Comes to Chicago’s 6th Ward
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“Free Lunch on the Robots” Comes to Chicago’s 6th Ward
On June 2, Serve Robotics partnered with 6th Ward Alderman Will Hall to host “Free Lunch on the Robots,” a community event at Soul Veg City on 75th Street and Indiana Avenue.
Nearly 100 community members joined us throughout the afternoon to meet the robots, ask questions, and see autonomous sidewalk delivery up close.
Putting resources back into neighborhood restaurants
From the start, the goal was simple: make sure a first look at new technology creates immediate value for the community hosting it. Serve bought gift cards from participating restaurants and delivered complimentary meals from Soul Veg City and Mabe's Deli, putting dollars straight back into businesses along the 75th Street corridor.
“For too long, new investment and new technology have skipped the South Side or arrived as an afterthought… We are bringing an autonomous delivery pilot to the 6th Ward on our terms, in a way that puts dollars back into our restaurants, sparks curiosity in our young people, and reminds the rest of the city that innovation belongs here.”
Ald. Hall
That’s the approach we’re committed to in Ward 6: partnering early with community leaders, showing up in person, and being accountable to the people who share the sidewalks our robots operate on.
Seeing the robots in person and asking the real questions
Throughout the afternoon, residents met the robots firsthand and learned how autonomous delivery works.
These face-to-face moments matter because they create space for honest questions, practical feedback, and a clearer understanding of what it looks like for robots to move with pedestrian traffic in real-world sidewalk environments.
The afternoon's centerpiece was the unveiling of a custom Serve robot wrap by South Side artist Ahmad James Lee, known as "Reco The Great." His design turns the robot into something that reflects the neighborhood's culture and creativity rather than something dropped in from outside.
What’s next
“Free Lunch on the Robots” was one step in Serve’s planned expansion to Chicago’s South Side, and part of our broader Chicago efforts.
As we continue to expand, we’ll keep showing up the same way across Chicago and the country: by listening first, building trust through transparency, and making sure autonomous delivery is introduced in a way that supports the communities we serve.