Autonomous delivery drone startup Zipline said Friday that it hit its 1 millionth delivery to customers and that it's eyeing restaurant partnerships in its next phase of growth. The San Francisco-based startup designs, builds and operates autonomous delivery drones, working with clients that range from more than 4,700 hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic to major brands such as Walmart and GNC. The company said its zero-emission drones have now flown more than 70 million autonomous commercial miles across four continents and delivered more than 10 million products. The push into restaurant partnerships marks an "obvious transition" he said, due to the continuing growth in interest in instant food delivery. Zipline deliveries for some Panera locations in Seattle are expected to begin next year, the Panera franchisee's chief operating officer Ron Bellamy told CNBC.

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Persons: It's, Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, Rinaudo Cliffton, Ron Bellamy, I'm, Bellamy Organizations: Cleveland Clinic, Walmart, Sequoia Capital, a16z, Google Ventures, CNBC, Memorial Hermann Health Locations: San Francisco, Ghana, Seattle, Houston, Detroit