Coffee lovers, Starbucks and Uber Eats are going all-in on U.S. deliveries
By Coffee addicts will be able to grab a mug of their beloved bean juice even more easily next year when Starbucks expands its delivery service with Uber Eats across the entire nation.
The move follows a successful pilot service in Miami launched by the two companies late last year and which led to additional trials in locations such as New York City and Los Angeles, as well as London, U.K.
Powered by the Uber Eats platform, Starbucks customers who can’t make it to a store can track orders within the mobile app, following the progress of their Uber courier as they head to your location.
Starbucks has also developed special packaging to make sure hot menu items don’t arrive stone cold, and cold items don’t turn up lukewarm.
Commenting on the expansion, aptly named Starbucks executive Roz Brewer said her company is keen to create “new and unique digital experiences that are meaningful, valuable and convenient” for customers, while Uber’s Jason Droege said the partnership makes ordering coffee and breakfast sandwiches “as easy as requesting a ride.”
Starbucks is also working with Postmates for deliveries, though the cost of menu items and delivery vary between the two services, so you may want to take the time to check both — so long as you’re not in that “I need coffee and I need it right now” state of mind, that is.
We’ve reached out to Starbucks and Uber Eats to find out more about its plans for meeting the needs of coffee addicts and will update this piece if we hear back.
Uber Eats has expanded significantly in the last year as the service continues to expand globally. The growth resulted in 2019 first-quarter revenue of $536 million, representing an 89% jump on the same quarter a year earlier.
The sharp rise prompted Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to note: “Some folks believe that the food category can be larger than the ride category,” adding, “If that’s true … that would be an enormous win for us.”
In related news, Uber recently confirmed it’s testing a $25-a-month subscription plan giving users access to free Uber Eats deliveries, discounted rides, and free Jump bike and scooter rides.
