Back in July, McDonald’s announced that it was adding DoorDash as a delivery partner, bringing an end to the brand’s exclusive deal with Uber Eats. As the delivery wars continue, with each service vying for deals with major restaurant brands, McDonald’s has continued to enter new partnerships.
McDonald’s USA and Grubhub have announced a new partnership to begin expanding McDelivery to approximately 500 restaurants in the NYC and Tri-State Area. McDelivery will be available on the Grubhub marketplace and the company’s New York brand, Seamless.
“At McDonald’s, we’re constantly innovating to find new ways to best serve our customers whenever and wherever they want, whether it’s dining in our newly modernized restaurants, on-the-go through mobile order and pay, [through] our drive-thru, or [with] McDelivery,” says Marcos Quesada, Vice President of McDonald’s Stamford Field Office. “The convenience of McDelivery has been available to our customers in the NYC and Tri-State area for the past two years. We are excited to add Seamless and Grubhub, leading delivery platforms in NYC, to our McDelivery service and to create more options for our customers to enjoy their favorite McDonald’s menu items via McDelivery.”
The Grubhub and McDonald’s partnership will include a direct point-of-sale integration to ensure a smooth experience for customers and franchise operations partners. As part of this integration, Grubhub’s innovative “Just in Time” technology will allow restaurant operators to match order fulfillment with driver pickup. This feature not only streamlines in-store operations but also provides the best experience for diners by delivering their food as hot and fresh as possible.
“Expanding McDonald’s McDelivery service in the New York City area is exciting, and we’re thrilled the team selected Grubhub as its partner of choice,” says Seth Priebatsch, Head of Enterprise at Grubhub. “We’ve been a part of New Yorkers’ lives for over 20 years, and we know a beloved brand like McDonald’s will be a welcome addition to our diners’ daily options.”
It remains to be seen how the delivery wars will play out. Many restaurants have grown frustrated with the high fees these services charge consumers. And, as we learned from Scott Scherer, Chief Information Officer of Jersey Mike’s Subs, service issues can be difficult to sort out between restaurant and deliverer. Will the most-favored delivery service turn out to be the one most willing to accommodate restaurants?