March 11 (Reuters) - Grubhub and drone technology

company Dexa announced a three-month pilot program on Wednesday

to introduce aerial food delivery services to customers in Green

Brook, New Jersey.

Beginning next week, customers within a 2.5-mile radius of

Grubhub-owner Wonder's Green Brook location will be able to

order on the app and opt for drone delivery at no extra charge

beyond the standard delivery and service fees.

The move adds to intensifying competition in the autonomous

delivery space, where rivals DoorDash ( DASH ) and Uber Eats

are also aggressively pursuing drone and robotic

delivery partnerships.

Wonder, a food hall and delivery startup, had acquired

Grubhub from Dutch company Just Eat Takeaway for $650 million

last year. That was 91% less than the $7.3 billion Just Eat

Takeaway had paid four years earlier.

The aerial delivery service will be powered by Dexa's

DE-2020, a fully automated aircraft that lowers food orders to

the ground on a cable.

Dexa is one of only four U.S. companies that both builds and

flies delivery drones, which have received full federal aviation

approval - a certification that has proven difficult for much of

the industry to obtain.

Grubhub said it would evaluate the pilot's results before

deciding whether to bring drone delivery to additional

restaurant partners in the area. A public demonstration is

scheduled for March 16 ahead of the launch.