LOS ANGELES — Anytime someone uses an app to order from Umami Burger in Venice, the journey always starts in the kitchen, but how the food gets to the customer may surprise you.

For deliveries within one mile, it’s more efficient to use a robot called Coco instead of a delivery driver, according to Jayson Portman, who oversees special projects for the restaurant. He says, on average, Coco can deliver food ten minutes faster than a driver and cut back on carbon emissions.