Uber launches UberEATS as a standalone app in the US

It’s a logical train of thought: if Uber can deliver people to places, surely it can deliver food to people. And that’s what the company also believes after it launched UberEATS, a standalone app that it claims makes ordering food as easy as requesting a ride.

The company says that during the beta testing period of UberEATS, it realised that it needed two different apps as requesting rides and food are “two very different experiences.”

The UberEATS app allows users to order food from a local restaurant. Adopting features from Zomato, users can browse the most popular dishes from each local restaurant. The app also has search capabilities. The app has adopted a lot of the features from its ride hailing sister app, like the feature for users to track the driver and see a time estimation of how long their food delivery will take.

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“For the past year and a half we’ve been delivering the best food cities have to offer in minutes. The restaurants behind these favorites are putting the Uber network to work. They’re expanding delivery distances and reaching new customers–pairing great food with the reliable service that people know and expect from Uber,” the company said in a blog post.

The company says that users can order food through Instant Delivery menu, guaranteeing them a 10 minute or less wait.

“We’re providing an experience completely tailored to food to help you get that perfect meal. In the same way Uber makes it easy to get from A to B, UberEATS makes it easy to get food from the best restaurants in your city. Because an Uber driver-partner is never more than a few minutes away, as soon as the food’s ready it’s on its way,” Jason Droege, Head of UberEVERYTHING, wrote in a blog post.

The app is live and available to download now on iOS and Android for users residing in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Toronto.