UberEATS is coming to SLO County

UberEATS will launch its food delivery service in the San Luis Obispo area on Tuesday, following recent starts in Santa Barbara and Bakersfield and growing use in major U.S. cities.

A subsidiary of the company Uber Technologies that’s widely known for its app-based taxi services, UberEATS will offer food delivery for about 25 restaurants in the San Luis Obispo area, said Patrick Winter, a company senior operations manager.

Participating restaurants, mostly in San Luis Obispo, include Woodstock’s Pizza, Old San Luis BBQ, Bliss Cafe, Deli Delicious and Mint + Craft.

The company plans to add additional partners in coming days and weeks, including restaurants in the North County.

In addition to local McDonald’s locations, customers can use the app to order at Pizza Port in Morro Bay and The Slice Pizza & Games in Arroyo Grande serving South County customers.

The service works like this: Users of the free app check out menus, place their order and pay a bill total that includes the price of the food and a $5.99 delivery fee (which can be $1 to $2 more during busy order times). The food is then delivered to a designated address by couriers using cars, bikes or on foot.

GPS systems allow costumers to connect with couriers who are in close proximity for expedited delivery. Tips for couriers are optional.

“We wanted to launch to UberEATS as students (at Cal Poly) take their finals this week and need a convenient option for food,” Winter said.

Winter said the service is particularly popular with the younger generation between 18 and 35.

Stephanie Serpa, a marketing and events manager at San Luis Obispo’s Woodstock’s Pizza, said the store has used UberEATS at its locations near San Diego State Universityand UCSB.

“It has been a great partner with our sister stores,” Serpa said. “We’re really trying to be innovative and develop new ways people can try our pizza.”

UberEATS’ hours aren’t fixed, so they’re able to deliver late-night orders (Woodstock’s is open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays).

Woodstock’s uses its own system with a $2.75 delivery charge, and orders must be at least $14. The UberEATS app, using its standard delivery charge of $5.99 in non-peak times, won’t require a minimum price order.

Other local food delivery companies currently with wider county reaches that allow orders online and by phone will face new competition, including Cafe Runner, a 21-year-old locally owned family business, which carries a $6.99 in-town delivery charge and a $10.99 charge for deliveries three towns away. MealClub.com, which allows orders online or by phone, has a $6 delivery charge.

Cafe Runner operates from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, and MealClub.com delivers between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. every night.

Those interested in driving with UberEATS can find out more at https://www.uber.com/a/signup/drive/deliver/?70307t=.

This story was originally published December 5, 2017 at 11:30 AM with the headline "UberEATS is coming to SLO County."