Uber Technologies’ $2.3 billion agreement to acquire third-party catering platform ezCater this week represents a significant push into the space for the parent company of third-party delivery giant Uber Eats.
The October 6 announcement extends the pattern of catering-focused initiatives from industry-leading 3PD platforms; DoorDash and Grubhub have both expanded catering offerings this year.
Inside Uber’s acquisition of ezCater
With the ezCater transaction expected to close in the coming months, the all-cash acquisition would add to Uber’s portfolio a platform that generated more than $2.5 billion in gross bookings over the past 12 months, according to the announcement.
The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
“We’re thrilled to be joining forces with Uber. Our team is proud of what we’ve built — the leading platform for workplace catering, and a major growth channel for our restaurant partners,” said Nihad Rahman, CEO of ezCater. “We’re energized to bring our catering and B2B expertise to Uber’s global ecosystem of customers, merchants and couriers.”
ezCater connects business catering customers with more than 140,000 restaurants throughout the U.S. The acquisition would combine ezCater’s proficiency in the B2B catering sector with Uber Eats’ merchant partner network.
“Catering is a big business, and can be a huge revenue stream for restaurants,” Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, said in a press release. “Nihad and his incredible team have built an amazing platform. With Uber’s reach, we can bring that experience to millions more customers and help restaurants win more of these valuable orders.”
The changing catering landscape
Workplace catering orders average $430 and feed 26 people, according to 2026 data from ezCater. Thirty percent of those orders provide less than 24 hours’ notice, which requires caterers to meet short lead times.
Well before the recent ezCater deal, Uber had long sought to tap into workplace catering demand, offering employee meal program management alongside corporate transportation since 2018 through Uber for Business, the tech giant’s corporate-focused platform.
DoorDash similarly introduced DoorDash for Business to its product suite in 2020, marketing it as a corporate meal solution. This April, the 3PD platform introduced Meal Manager, a new solution designed to serve employers that regularly provide in-office meals, reducing manual coordination.
Last week, DoorDash announced a corporate ordering connector in limited beta that companies can link to compatible internal AI tools, including company-designed Slack bots. ezCater launched a Slack integration in February.
Grubhub, meanwhile, expanded its longtime partnership with restaurant technology and digital ordering company Olo in February, when the Wonder-owned 3PD launched its Olo Catering Integration.
Grubhub’s February 5 product announcement on the collaboration said the feature streamlines operations for merchants and offers a more robust selection of catering options for corporate clients and other catering customers. The integration allows restaurant partners using Olo to process incoming Grubhub catering orders through the same centralized channel as regular orders.
