The Leader • Saturday, February 1, 2020 • Page 1B
Groceries by robot – it’s here By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
The future – at least with regard to food delivery – has come to the Heights. Maybe you’ve seen the “avant-garde looking handbag,” as described by Wired Magazine, on Houston’s roads and wondered what in the world it is. The answer is Nuro, a delivery service using a selfdriving vehicle that plans to bring Kroger groceries and Domino’s Pizza to customers in zip codes 77005, 77007, 77025, 77035, 77401 and 77096. “Kroger believes the future of retail will include both physical and digital customer experiences,” said Nuro’s Sola Lawal. “We partnered with Kroger to make the convenience of grocery delivery accessible and affordable for customers everywhere.” Nuro was founded in 2016 by Dave Ferguson and Jiajun Zhu, two of the lead engineers from Google’s self-driving car project. The company has been operating in Houston since March. The month before, Nuro announced a $940 million investment from the SoftBank Vision Fund. Initiated first in Scottsdale, Arizona, Nuro completed thousands of grocery deliveries to customers before expanding to Houston, the next phase of the pilot. “We operate 102 stores in Houston — an energetic market that embraces digital and technology advancement,” Yael Cosset, Kroger’s chief digital officer, said in a news release. “The launch is one more way we are committed to sustainably provide our customers with anything, anytime, and anywhere, the way they want it.”
As part of the arrangement, grocery orders can be scheduled for same-day or next-day delivery, seven days a week. Customers order their groceries for delivery via Kroger.com or the Kroger mobile app. The delivery fee is $5.95 per order, and there is no minimum order amount. Customers are notified via text message or a phone call when the vehicle is on its way. “Currently, Nuro operates our delivery service within the City of Houston,” Lawal said. “We also conduct additional testing of our autonomous system and vehicles on public roads in Silicon Valley and Greater Phoenix.” R1, Nuro’s zero-occupant self-driving delivery vehicle, is about half the width of a standard sedan and much lighter. It is classified as a low-speed vehicle with a max speed of 25 mph. “Neither the R1 nor our upcoming R2 vehicle have room for any occupants,” Lawal said. “They are designed specifically for the transportation of local goods.” In Houston, Nuro also operates a fleet of Toyota Prius vehicles that run their autonomous vehicle software and drive themselves while monitored by an in-vehicle safety operator who is prepared to take control of the vehicle at any time. When the vehicle arrives at the delivery address, customers will receive an individual access code that they enter on the vehicle touch screen to open the compartment door. Once they have finished unloading their order, the customer can tap “DONE” on the touchscreen and the door closes behind them. Nuro’s footprint in Houston is just taking shape, according
Contributed photo Nuro, a self-driving vehicle that brings Kroger groceries to customers, is now operating in parts of Houston, including the Heights.
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Contributed photo Nuro co-founders Dave Ferguson, left, and Jiajun Zhu.
to Lawal. “In Houston – both with our Kroger and our forthcoming deliveries in partnership with Domino’s and Walmart – we plan to expand our service
area, grow the size of our fleet, forge new partnerships, and collect additional customer feedback to continue improving our offerings,” he said.
Houston Liederkranz brings song, Skat to community By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
If you wander into the Houston Liederkranz on Ella Boulevard any Tuesday evening to have a beer and play the German card game called Skat, be warned – you very well might become a regular. That’s what happened to Heights resident Reagan Davis, who visited for the first time a little over six months ago and is now the organization’s entertainment chair. He joins The Woodlands resident Gabriele Lorenzen, who moved from Germany two years ago and heard about a place where she could speak and hear her native language – and now makes the drive down weekly. So does David Reed, who lives in the Museum District and attended a soccer watch party for the Champions League Final with his wife and some friends. “I was talking with some of the other people there and they invited me to come to one of the Tuesday night gatherings,” Reed said. “I went and signed up to be a member that next Tuesday night because I could tell that it would be a fun
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club to be a part of.” Johnny Schexnayder, now the bar and rentals manager, lived in Oak Forest when he saw an advertisement for Wurstfest at the social club. But when he and his wife drove up and down Ella, it took them a while to find the unassuming structure. While the Houston Liederkranz may have been an inadvertent well-kept secret, it is now beginning to grow in popularity at a time when the membership of other German clubs is waning. And that
is due to a new generation of members who find different things to appreciate about the venue. About half of the 120 members are longtime members and the other half are new recruits. “The Houston Liederkranz is a German-American singing, social club,” said newly elected president Lawrence Denk. “It has been this since its founding in 1925. The makeup of the membership is changed over that time.” In its earlier days, Denk explained, the typical member
might be a first- or secondgeneration German who immigrated to the United States. Europe has been relatively stable since the 1960s, and immigration from Europe is dramatically reduced. “Today’s member would have a different background and interest,” Denk said. “The club seeks to provide a welcome place for all of its membership.” Denk said they see individual members – or, in many cases, See Liederkranz, P. 8B
BUSINESS BRIEFS: Theatre Suburbia holding fundraiser to help with move After 59 years of being an all-volunteer theatre in Northwest Houston, Theatre Suburbia has lost the lease in its current location at 4106 Way Out West Dr. and has to move. Elvin Moriarty said the group has found space close to its current location and will be moving to 5201 Mitchelldale St., Suite A3. The theatre is doing a Facebook fundraiser, available on its page, to help with rent and utilities in the new space. “The new building owner is supportive of us making any necessary changes to the building and has assured us that we will be comfortably located in the building for years
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to come,” states the online ask. “Your donations will also help us build an entirely new theatre space, seating risers, lobby lounge, tech booth, add an ADA bathroom, and re-appropriate spaces for dressing rooms and a green room.” The troupe will still be performing at its Way Out West Location through March. Solak Legal new to estate planning Jennifer M. Solak would like to announce the recent opening of her new estate planning and probate law practice. “I am serving the Greater Heights community and my goal is to help families protect their future and their loved
ones through thoughtful legal planning,” Solak said. For more information, see www.solaklegal.com. Authenticity Massage open in Heights Penny Mickel is a licensed massage therapist who owns Authenticity Massage at 210 E. 26th St. “I offer specific massage treatments for women,” Mickel said. “I offer several types of cupping therapy, along with specialized lymphatic massages for women before and after surgeries. I also work with women that have had or currently have cancer.” In addition, Mickel offers pregnancy massages, sports
and traditional massages. For more information, visit https://www.authenticitymassage.com/. Wild Honey closes on 19th Wild Honey, which was located at 625 W. 19th St. in the Heights, will be closed as of Jan. 30. The boutique opened in August, offering items for women and children as well as accessories and giftable items. The stores owners thanked the public for its support in a Facebook message. Do you have something for business briefs? Please e-mail betsy@theleadernews.com.
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