UberEATS and McDonald’s partner to spread the McDelivery gospel across America.
McDonald’s has long dabbled in the fast-food delivery game. Fans of the burger, nuggets and fries retailer have been able to order burgers, nuggets and fries through third party apps like DoorDash, Postmates. Now, McDonald’s is expanding a partnership with UberEATS to bring their own McDelivery service to over 1,000 locations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Columbus and Phoenix.
McDelivery has been available in Florida since January, where residents of Miami, Orlando and Tampa Bay could order off the McDonald’s menu through UberEATS. Now, 300 McDonald’s locations in L.A., 267 in Chicago, 144 in Phoenix and 59 in Columbus, Ohio will be part of the program.
UberEATS operates in 70 cities in the United States and is just what it sounds like: Uber for food. A stand alone app affiliated with the ride share trailblazer, UberEATS lets you order meal delivery the same way you would order a car. Like similar food delivery apps, UberEATs charges a $5 “booking fee” and you may also be charged a “busy fee” much like surge pricing in the ride share program. Your order is priced at menu rates, but this can still result in an $11 Egg McMuffin meal.
Generally, people are pretty excited about the team-up, though international fans of the golden arches are a little shocked the U.S. didn’t have delivery before. Apparently, the U.S. is once again lagging in matters we didn’t even consider. After all, McDonald’s commitment to fast food is essentially unmatched and they’ve been delivering McDonald’s meals internationally for two decades. In Asia and the Middle East, top delivery restaurants generate up to 40 percent of their sales from delivery.
McDonald’s is doing the most these days, as they try to respond to marginally improved sales, but flat customer visits. Delivery is the most logical addition to premium menu items, self-service order stations and location upgrades.