Katy approves Zipline drone hub as local restaurant embraces aerial takeout deliveries
Drone delivery service coming to Katy
The Katy city council has approved a zoning change to bring in a company that delivers food orders through drones. FOX 26's Karys Belger breaks down the details.
KATY, Texas - Takeout could arrive by air for more Katy-area customers after City Council approved a zoning change allowing Zipline to establish a new drone delivery hub.
The proposed station would be located behind the shopping center at 27240 Katy Freeway, north of I-10 near Buc-ee’s, within West Ten Business Park.
Monday’s approval moves the project forward, but the new hub still needs building permits and construction. Zipline representatives told council the station could open in approximately three to six months.
For local restaurants already using the service, expansion could mean another way to reach customers.
Jesus Lee, manager of Adrian’s Mexican Street Food, told FOX 26 the restaurant’s Katy location receives approximately 15 to 20 drone orders per week.
Drone delivery company coming to Katy
What we know:
The Nov. 9 council action modified zoning requirements for the West Ten Business Park planned development district to allow the drone station.
During the meeting, Zipline Development Manager Jason Drews identified a site behind the retail businesses, on the northeast portion of the property.
Plans call for six docking and charging towers. Each tower can accommodate six drones, giving the proposed station capacity for up to 36 aircraft.
The site would also include electrical and network equipment. Drews described an autonomous facility that would not require employees to remain stationed there.
Company representatives said they worked with city staff to identify the proposed location after considering another site.
The planned station is separate from an existing Zipline hub off Highway 6 North in Cypress, where FOX 26 reported live.
Zipline handles drone deliveries for participating restaurants and retailers. Customers create an account through the Zipline app, enter their address and select an available participating business.
Restaurant employees prepare and package the food before it is collected for delivery.
The backstory:
According to Zipline, its electric drones can carry orders weighing up to eight pounds and travel at speeds of up to 70 mph.
The drone remains more than 300 feet overhead while a pod containing the order descends on a tether. After leaving the order at the delivery location, the pod is retrieved by the aircraft.
Zipline says its average time from ordering to delivery is 18 minutes. That company-provided figure was not identified as a Houston-specific average.
Representatives described a delivery range of approximately three miles during the council meeting, but later clarified that coverage is more complicated than drawing a circle around the hub.
Because a drone first travels to pick up an order, the locations of both the business and customer help determine whether a delivery is possible.
‘Another opportunity’
What they're saying:
Lee said Adrian’s has been using Zipline for about six months, after the company approached one of the restaurant’s Cypress locations. He said curiosity drove his interest in the technology.
"There was actually a lot more curiosity, really, because I was like, ‘How are you guys doing it?’" Lee said.
He described employees loading packaged meals into a pod that descends at a designated pickup location before being lifted back to the drone. Lee said the business has seen an increase in to-go orders, although he did not provide figures establishing how much of that increase came specifically from drone delivery.
He hopes appearing among the businesses available through the service will introduce the restaurant to customers who have not ordered from it before.
"So I mean, it’s another opportunity as well for growth," Lee said.
The proposed Katy expansion also has a personal connection for Lee, who said he was born and raised in the community and had previously asked Zipline about expanding there.
"So I was excited, and I wanted my community to be a part of this as well," he said.
The businesses that will participate through the new West Ten hub have not been confirmed in the information provided to FOX 26.
What about safety and bad weather?
Dig deeper:
Council members questioned Zipline representatives about weather monitoring, backup systems and how the company handles potential problems.
Zipline said its aircraft undergo automated preflight safety checks and have backup systems, including a parachute.
Representatives said monitoring centers and onboard sensors help track weather and flight conditions. They also said the company can suspend flights when necessary and coordinate with local law enforcement during emergencies.
Those safeguards do not mean deliveries would continue in every type of weather. During the meeting, representatives confirmed that the company’s monitoring centers can stop flights ahead of dangerous conditions.
What about noise, cameras and schools?
Zipline representatives said keeping the aircraft hundreds of feet overhead while lowering a delivery pod is intended to reduce noise near customers’ homes.
They identified takeoff as the loudest part of the process and said charging stations are intentionally placed in commercial areas.
Council members also asked whether the drones have cameras and what happens to recorded footage.
A representative said cameras and sensors help the aircraft navigate and deliver safely around obstacles, including people, pets and backyard furniture.
The representative initially said video was not stored, then clarified that footage is retained temporarily so a limited group of engineers can review it if an incident occurs. The discussion did not establish a specific retention period.
Zipline also told council it does not deliver to schools and identifies public school property as a "keep out zone" that its aircraft avoid flying over.
What we don't know:
An exact opening date for the new Katy hub has not been announced in the information provided to FOX 26.
A confirmed list of participating businesses, customer delivery fees and a precise service-area map for the new station also remain outstanding.
Zipline’s media team said it was off for the Veterans Day holiday and provided company information attributable to Zipline, along with access to images and footage.
What's next:
Zipline representatives said the next step after zoning approval is the city’s building-permit process.
Drews estimated permitting could take approximately four to eight weeks, followed by roughly eight to 10 weeks of construction. When asked when service could begin, he gave an overall estimate of approximately three to six months.
What you can do:
Residents interested in service currently available at their address can check the Zipline app. Current availability does not establish when the proposed Katy station will begin serving customers.
The Source: Information in this story comes from FOX 26’s interview with Adrian’s Mexican Street Food manager Jesus Lee and his follow-up clarification that the weekly drone-order figures apply to the Katy location; the Nov. 9, 2026, Katy City Council meeting; information provided by Zipline’s media team for attribution to the company; and FOX 26’s reporting at an existing Zipline hub off Highway 6 North in Cypress.