Uber to Deliver to Olive Garden in New Partnership

Darden restaurants will begin delivering food from Olive Garden via Uber later this year.

The parent company of the Italian chain and other restaurant brands said on Thursday it would take the action as part of an “exclusive, multi-year” delivery partnership it has with Uber.

The agreement “will enable restaurant guests to order on-demand deliveries through Darden’s restaurant channels, with delivery handled by Uber Direct through Uber’s national delivery network,” Darden said in a press release.

customers entering the Olive Garden restaurant — Customers enter an Olive Garden restaurant in Pittsburgh, California, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022.

Darden said Uber will initially deliver Olive Garden food from a “limited number” of locations to customers’ doors this year.

OLIVE GARDEN CEO SAYS FAST FOOD INFLATION IS FORCING CUSTOMERS TO SIT-IN FRANCHISES

Darden said the company intends to expand its Uber Direct delivery service beyond the pilot phase and offer it to all Olive Gardens stores by May of next year.

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There are hundreds of Olive Garden restaurants across the country.

“Guests have been asking us about home delivery options and continue to show they are willing to pay for convenience,” Darden CEO Rick Cardenas said in a statement Thursday. “As we continued to evaluate delivery, it was important for us to find a way to meet this guest need without disrupting the team member or guest experience and without compromising our competitive advantages and simple operating model.”

Darden will charge Olive Garden customers the same price for their food whether they choose dine-in, takeout or delivery, Cardenas told investors on the company’s earnings conference call. He indicated the offering will be comparable to what the chain currently sells for takeout.

Uber sign San Francisco California — The headquarters of car-sharing technology company Uber in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood of San Francisco, California.

“The additional cost of delivery will be transparent to guests, and thanks to Uber’s technology platform, guests will be able to track their order all the way to their designated delivery address,” he added.

“On-demand delivery is increasingly a core consumer expectation,” Sarfraz Maredia, Uber Eats Americas head and vice president of delivery, said in a statement. “People also expect great experiences, especially when they come from a brand they love like Olive Garden, whether that’s in a restaurant or at home. We’re confident our teams can deliver on that promise together and continue to grow first-party delivery as a channel.”

Cardenas said that before signing the Uber partnership, Darden began “more serious talks” with the ride-hailing company in the spring about Uber Direct.

Olive Garden Sign — April 15, 2012: Exterior of the Olive Garden restaurant.

Uber first launched Uber Direct in 2020.

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According to Cardenas, Darden believes the Uber Direct delivery partnership will be an additional long-term sales driver.

In the first quarter, Olive Garden generated $1.2 billion in sales and $249 million in profit for Darden, down 1.5% and 5% year over year, respectively. In total, Darden reported $2.76 billion in sales and $207.6 million in net profit across all of its various restaurant brands.

Olive Garden has been operating since the 1980s.

Source of original article: Uber to Deliver to Olive Garden in New Partnership