Uber’s new food delivery app is expanding again, and as of Tuesday, serves the entire Bay Area.
South Bay residents now can use UberEats to order food from more than 175 local restaurants, including Oren’s Hummus, Fuki Sushi and Falafel’s Drive-In. To celebrate the launch, Uber will waive delivery fees for a limited time, according to a company blog post.
The tech giant launched UberEats in San Francisco in March, a big step because it was the company’s first stand-alone app to operate independently of its signature ride-hailing service. In June the service expanded to the East Bay.
“Now with our South Bay and Peninsula launch, we are bringing the speed and reliability of UberEats to even more people across the Bay Area,” Susan Alban, general manager of UberEverything, wrote in a blog post.
Uber has ramped up its focus on the larger on-demand economy recently, delivering products for businesses with UberRush, and even delivering ice cream, puppies and kittens as part of special promotions. When Uber sold its Chinese ride-hailing business to competitor Didi Chuxing earlier this month, co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick wrote in a Facebook post that the sale frees up resources for Uber to focus on other initiatives, including “the future of food and logistics.”
But as Uber pours money into food delivery, it’s taking on an industry many experts warn already is overcrowded with competitors such as DoorDash, Sprig, Grubhub and Munchery. Some, such as SpoonRocket, already have been squeezed out. But with a valuation of more than $60 billion, at least $11 billion in cash, a new $7 billion stake in Didi and freedom from the $1 billion a year burden of competing in China’s ride-hailing market — Uber has not shied away from the challenge.
Photo: An UberEats user scrolls through food items available for delivery. (Uber)
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