Close X
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
ADVT 
National

Uber Raises Stakes As It Aggressively Expands Toronto Food Delivery Service

The Canadian Press, 09 Dec, 2015 12:08 PM
    TORONTO — Uber has chosen the streets of Toronto for its latest experiment in food delivery.
     
    The mobile app company, which has already shaken up the taxi industry, is now quadrupling the operating hours of its UberEats delivery service in the city and rolling out a much wider menu selection from local businesses.
     
    Uber launched a stand-alone UberEats app exclusively in Toronto on Wednesday, first on Apple's iOS devices. Smartphones running Google's Android operating system will get the app on Tuesday.
     
    Users will need to download the new program to access Uber's expanded food service, which offers full menus from more than 100 restaurants in the Toronto area.
     
    With the changes, customers will still be able to tap into Uber's existing short list of menu items — a service it will now call "Instant Delivery" — which delivers a short list of food items in under 10 minutes.
     
    Food off the longer menu will take a bit more time to arrive, as it will be prepared on the spot. Generally food will show up in less than 45 minutes, Cheung said.
     
    Toronto is the only Canadian city where Uber delivers food, and Bowie Cheung, general manager of UberEats in the city, said it's also one of the most popular of the 12 locations in the world where it delivers food.
     
    "It's building a great reputation as a technological hot spot for innovation," he said.
     
     
    "We launched UberEats about seven months ago in Toronto and the reception has been amazing. Customers rave about the service, they love it and it has grown quickly, so it felt like the natural place to launch this app."
     
    Among the new changes in Toronto, hours of delivery will now run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, rather than its previous operating hours of 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
     
    Uber's expansion marks the latest change for the rapidly evolving food delivery industry where global online company Just Eat acquired Canadian rival Orderit.ca over the summer.
     
    Around the world, others have also been getting into the food delivery business, including e-commerce giant Amazon, which rolled out a similar service in 20 U.S. cities last month.
     
    UberEats launched in the United States in August 2014 and has operated with a rotating menu of about four meals from a variety of local restaurants.
     
    Uber has also been expanding into other areas of delivery, in some U.S. cities where UberRush ships packages and other goods.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Man Charged With Murder Of Missing Woman Told Saskatoon Police Where To Find Body

    Man Charged With Murder Of Missing Woman Told Saskatoon Police Where To Find Body
    SASKATOON — Investigators say a man charged with killing a woman who vanished five years ago walked into a Saskatoon police station and told them where to find her body.

    Man Charged With Murder Of Missing Woman Told Saskatoon Police Where To Find Body

    Amazon Says Its Prime Air Drone Project Is Making Progress

    The retailer says Prime Air will one day deliver packages up to 5 pounds in 30 minutes or less using small drones.

    Amazon Says Its Prime Air Drone Project Is Making Progress

    Doctor With HIV Says A Dog Saved His Life, Launches Photo Project With Patients And Their Dogs

    Doctor With HIV Says A Dog Saved His Life, Launches Photo Project With Patients And Their Dogs
    Rob Garofalo was devastated. He'd built his medical and research career on helping young AIDS patients. Then he learned that he, too, was HIV-positive.

    Doctor With HIV Says A Dog Saved His Life, Launches Photo Project With Patients And Their Dogs

    Statcan Says Post-Secondary School Enrolments Are Climbing

    OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says the country's post-secondary institutions saw more people both enrolling and graduating during the 2013-14 school year.

    Statcan Says Post-Secondary School Enrolments Are Climbing

    Manitoba Beefs Up Protection Orders With Firearm Ban, GPS Monitoring

    Manitoba Beefs Up Protection Orders With Firearm Ban, GPS Monitoring
    WINNIPEG — Manitoba says it's beefing up its restraining orders to be the toughest in Canada.

    Manitoba Beefs Up Protection Orders With Firearm Ban, GPS Monitoring

    Justin Trudeau Keeps Election Promise In Paris With $300Million-A-Year Clean Tech Commitment

    Justin Trudeau Keeps Election Promise In Paris With $300Million-A-Year Clean Tech Commitment
    PARIS — Canada is promising $300 million a year for research and development on clean energy technology as part of splashy international kickoff to the opening day of the Paris climate conference.

    Justin Trudeau Keeps Election Promise In Paris With $300Million-A-Year Clean Tech Commitment