Houston is on the flight path for drone-delivered teriyaki. Seattle-style chain Teriyaki Madness (TMAD) announced a partnership with Zipline, to bring orders to customers by air. The launch begins at TMAD’s Denton shop in North Texas, and Houston is set to join later this year. TMAD has not given a specific date for Houston.

Houston customers will order through the Zipline app. Once the bowl is ready, an all-electric, zero-emissions drone picks it up and flies it to the delivery address. The drone hovers up to 300 feet overhead while a small pod carries the order down to the ground on a tether. Then the drone returns to charge for its next run.

Most orders arrive in less than five minutes. The system can also deliver in high winds and bad weather, which matters in a city that knows its share of stormy days.

Houston is part of a larger push. Zipline and Uber announced in August a goal of one million drone deliveries a day by the end of 2029, with Dallas and Houston among the first markets.

Zipline has flown more than 140 million autonomous miles since 2014 and completes a delivery somewhere in the world every 20 seconds. The company built its network to carry blood, medicine and critical supplies to more than 5,000 hospitals and health centers, work that continues in Africa. It brought its home-delivery technology to the United States in 2025 and now serves dozens of communities, with partners that include Walmart and a growing list of restaurant brands.

Teriyaki Madness

“Getting bowls to people faster has always been the mission, and at some point you run out of shortcuts on the ground,” said Jodi Boyce, chief marketing officer of Teriyaki Madness.

TMAD says every bowl is still cooked to order, whether it arrives by air or by hand. The chain was founded in 2003 and now has more than 200 shops in more than 40 states. After the Denton launch, it plans to expand drone delivery to more Texas locations. Details on which Houston-area shops will offer it have not yet been announced. You can find the menu and locations on the Teriyaki Madness website.