It’s like Uber but for Parc. In fact, that’s exactly what it is.
Uber is launching a new food delivery service called UberEATS today, and more than 100 Philly eateries will be available, including some upscale restaurants not currently available on other popular delivery services like Caviar and GrubHub.
Chief among these will be Stephen Starr’s popular stable of restaurants. Josh Levine, VP of operations for Starr Restaurant Group, said 13 Starr restaurants will eventually be available on UberEATS. Four will be available starting today: Jones, Pod, Buddakan and El Vez. Next week, UberEATS will get Morimoto, Butcher and Singer, Alma de Cuba and Continental.
After that, in about three weeks, five more will roll out. Levine wants to keep three of them a surprise but said the other two will be Fette Sau and Parc. One of Philly’s best-known fine-dining establishments, where Denzel Washington and Joe Biden eat, will now be available in your living room at the push of a button.
“We think it’s important,” Levine said, “to give everyone that experience.”
How it works
To get UberEATS, you’ll need to download a separate app from the regular Uber app. It should automatically be set up with your Uber account and payment info.
Based on your location, the app will show you the available restaurants. Each restaurant individually chooses the distance to which it will deliver, and most of them are located in Center City or bordering neighborhoods. People who are in Northeast or Northwest Philly are out of luck, but the River Wards, Southwest, North and South Philly are mostly in the coverage area. Casey Verkamp, general manager of UberEATS in Philly, said Uber is partnering with new restaurants every day and hopes to expand its footprint.
The average delivery time for UberEATS in other cities has been around 30 minutes. The same is expected for Philadelphia.
Uber drivers must sign up separately if they want to deliver food with UberEATS. Verkamp declined to give an exact number of UberEATS drivers in Philly but estimates hundreds of drivers will be available for delivery at all times.
Cost breakdown
Uber is late to the game when it comes to food delivery, but they’re mixing things up a little bit. The delivery cost for each order is $4.99. That doesn’t change no matter how much food is ordered or your proximity to the restaurant.
Caviar has a location-based pricing model, charging anywhere from $1.99 to $6.99 depending on your distance to the restaurant. Restaurants on GrubHub charge differing delivery fees, usually in the $2 to $4 range.
