Shake Shack Tests Delivery with Caviar
Danny Meyer’s fast-casual burger chain sure knows how to create a buzz, and its latest limited-time partnership with Caviar in New York City. As reported by Eater New York, for three days in March, Shake Shack could be ordered with zero delivery fees or raised prices. According to the report, six Manhattan locations and two in Brooklyn participated in the test, which ran from 11a.m. to midnight on most days. The Caviar app referred to the test as a “pop-up,” which only adds to the perceived trendiness and gotta-have factor. As burgers are one of the food types best suited to the rigors of delivery, expect to see more pop-up deliveries for Shake Shack. Or, maybe they’ll get serious and settle down together one of these days. That’s what moving to Brooklyn’s all about anyway, right?
Bite Squad Merges with Doorstep Delivery
Minneapolis-based BiteSquad has merged with Doorstep Delivery, an 80-driver delivery provider headquartered in the home of Walt Disney World. While terms of the deal have not been disclosed, BiteSquad Vice President of Marketing Craig Key said the deal allows the company to capitalize on Doorstep’s “great relationships with restaurants” while adding BiteSquad’s technology and customer service that he said will allow the combined entity to expand in the market.
“We’re growing incredibly fast and, for the most part, that’s been organic growth and also some growth as a result of some great mergers,” Key said of the deal’s implications. “We have the technical and logistical ability to make the whole customer journey so much smoother and so any market where we can come in and take, hopefully if not leadership, one of the strong leaders in the market is a great chance for us to really service [our] customers.”
Speaking to the Orlando Sentinel about the deal, Doorstep owner William Moore portrayed the deal as a reaction to pressure from Uber and Amazon, adding that “without the millions to invest to keep up with Uber and Amazon, we were starting to feel it.” Those impacts were seen in the form of discounts that, he added, stressed the company in the wake of UberEats entering the Orlando market in late 2016.
Key added that, with the recent addition of the Nashville and Orlando markets, BiteSquad is currently in 17 individual U.S. metro areas.
Jack in the Box Expands DoorDash Delivery Partnership
Looking to capitalize on late nighters’ food cravings, Jack in the Box is now offering delivery in more than 200 cities across 14 new markets through a partnership with third-party provider DoorDash. The rapid expansion to markets such as Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Seattle and Denver comes after Jack in the Box piloted delivery last fall in San Francisco and was encouraged by the larger orders it began seeing through DoorDash. More than 800 restaurants will come online through this deal, almost 40 percent of the chain’s 2,200 restaurants. Partnering with DoorDash for delivery “is faster and more efficient” than doing it in-house, Iwona Alter, Jack’s chief marketing officer, told Reuters. Click here to read the full story
Dunkin’ and Waze Partner for Order-Ahead Functionality
Dunkin’ Donuts and Waze have partnered to add order-ahead functionality to the popular turn-by-turn direction provider. Users can map to a Dunkin’ via the app and seamlessly start ordering from that location via a Dunkin’ Rewards app on the same device.
The coffee and donut purveyor is the first restaurant to get this functionality, so keep an eye out for more additions. Dunkin’ was also the first partner in Waze’s native advertising unit. Click here to read the full story
Shipt Inks Home Delivery Deals with Meijer, Costco
On-demand grocery delivery service Shipt signed two major partnership agreements recently as it looks to scale operations on a national level. Shipt’s deal with Meijer supercenters will bring home-delivery to six states, starting with Meijer’s home state of Michigan and later expanding to key markets in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Wisconsin.
Shipt will also expand the home delivery reach for giant warehouse club Costco, starting with the Tampa, Florida, area. Costco already offers home delivery in some locations via Instacart.
Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Shipt currently delivers groceries to more than 17 million households in 35 markets across the country. The Shipt model is similar to ride-sharing apps such as Uber in that it connects members with a community of shoppers who hand pick and deliver the items. Click here to read the full story
