Several food delivery services have popped up over the years, including Postmates and
DoorDash, but, if this were a popularity contest, Uber Eats would be winning hands down. It
makes a lot of sense for Uber, a ride-share service, to expand into food delivery. So,
here are ten untold truths about Uber Eats - America’s favorite food delivery service.
Once Upon a Time
The popular ride-share company, Uber, launched its food delivery service way back in 2014.
Before Uber Eats was Uber Eats, it was called UberFRESH. For the first year or so, UberFRESH
was exclusive to California. In the beginning, it was only available in Santa Monica, but
soon, it expanded to Los Angeles. Throughout the early part of 2015, the food delivery
service started popping up in other major cities across the country. History was made
that spring, when UberFRESH swapped out its moniker in favor of Uber Eats. Things really
started to take off after that, with Uber Eats expanding to Canadian locations, getting
its own app independent of Uber, and becoming a 24-hour delivery service. Getting your hands
on french fries or pizza at two in the morning has never been easier. The hype around Uber
Eats and other food delivery services doesn’t seem to want to die down any time soon. We
can only assume that Uber Eats will just keep on trucking. It has partnered with over 300,000
restaurants in 500 cities around the world, and has shown no signs of slowing down.
How Does it Compare?
Uber doesn’t have a monopoly on food delivery. These services have had a massive upswing
in popularity these past few years. And for good reason – they’re quick and convenient.
With so many different food delivery services available, you might be wondering which one
is right for you. How exactly does Uber Eats stack up to its competition? Uber Eats was
by no means the first such service, however, it’s one of the fastest growing. And in
comparison to other food delivery services, it’s also one of the best at keeping customers.
The fact that it’s been able to maintain a loyal following is a testament to its good
service. Uber Eats is also considered one of the quickest food delivery services. Even
on a busy Saturday night, you won’t have to wait too long to get your meal. Plus, Uber
Eats has the added bonus of allowing you to track your order in real-time, the same way
you can track your driver in the Uber app. It doesn’t have as many good deals as Postmates,
and its menus aren’t as easy to navigate as those on the DoorDash app. Still, if you
want a quick, reliable delivery service, Uber Eats is the one for you.
Party Ready
If you’re hosting a party or get-together, Uber Eats can be a lifesaver. There are a
million and one responsibilities that come with playing host or hostess, and this is
a great way to reduce some of that party-planning stress. Instead of spending the whole day
cooking, you can get all your favorite foods delivered right to your doorstep. This will
save you time and give you the chance to check all the other items off your to-do list before
guests start arriving at your door. Even better, when you order from Uber Eats, you
don’t have to worry about washing dishes; they'll send all the necessary utensils along
with your food order. If you’re serving lots of people, the number of dirty dishes
at the end of the night can be overwhelming. Paper plates and styrofoam aren’t the classiest
option, but people who don’t want to deal with kitchen chores don’t get to complain.
On a side note, Uber Eats is literally perfect for any party or gathering because they can
get you tons of food very quickly. With this service, even serving unexpected guests becomes
easy. And, because they deliver food from restaurants, you have a whole menu’s worth
of variety at your fingertips. It makes it that much easier to accommodate the personal
tastes and dietary restrictions of your guests.
Sometimes, the Best Plan is No Plan
Cooking and putting together healthy, extravagant recipes is made out to be the hallmark of
being an adult. It’s part of that pressure to have that Instagram-worthy, perfect life.
That’s a whole other discussion, but the point is, there’s no shame in not having
every meal for the next six months planned out. And there’s nothing wrong with feeling
that, after a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is turn on the stove. On days
when the meal prep falls through, or when you’re lacking the ingredients to put together
the meal you’re craving for, Uber Eats has your back. Meal planning is one of the biggest
first world problems of adult life. Trying not to eat the same thing every single night
and making sure you buy everything you need at the grocery store to avoid having to shop
every other day is exhausting. For those evenings when your plans fall through, with no energy
to put another one together, you can always count on Uber Eats drivers. Place a last-minute
order from your couch, and have it delivered in no time. It takes minimal effort and brainpower
on your part. Sure, it sounds lazy, but, after a hard day at work, you deserve a little down
time every once in a while.
Daily Trends
Uber Eats drivers are subject to all kinds of weird requests from customers. Interestingly
enough, a pattern has emerged in these unconventional orders. As it turns out, certain requests
are more common on specific days of the week. On Mondays, people are all about condiments,
and there’s a major increase of orders for extra mayo and ketchup. By Tuesday, demands
increase for extra packets of sweet and sour sauce. By Wednesday, everyone’s got enough
extra sauce and condiments to last them a lifetime, so special requests for those drop
off. For whatever reason, on Wednesdays, Uber Eats sees a surge in orders for sides of rice
and extra onions. On Thursday, many customers spice up their meals with barbeque sauce instead.
Fridays are special. There are increases in orders for extra cheese as well as in orders
that specify “no cheese”. Saturdays are all about spice, with customers requesting
that their meals be prepared extra spicy. There’s also another spike in orders for
extra sauce packets – but this time it’s not barbeque or sweet and sour, but ranch
and honey mustard. And, finally, on Sundays, people decide they hate tomatoes and ask for
more teriyaki sauce. We're not sure what it all means but all of this Uber Eats data
must be telling us something,
The Extra Ranch Saga
So, like we’ve mentioned before, on Saturdays in particular, Uber Eats customers tend to
request extra ranch sauce. No one really knows why, but this has become a thing. Even though
Saturday is said to be the big day for ranch dressing, an order of extra ranch is one of
the most common requests Uber Eats drivers get. Now, when we say “extra ranch”, we
don’t just mean a packet or two. No, we’re talking like thirteen extra packets. For some
bizarre reason, ranch dressing is living its best life right now. It’s thriving in the
food delivery industry. This may be because people have always wanted copious amounts
of ranch dressing, whether it’s for topping their salad or to use as a dipping sauce.
But maybe they've been too shy to pour the ranch on in a restaurant, as they would at
home, but the anonymity of ordering through an app has given people the courage to ask
for what they really want. And if what you really want, in all the world, is extra ranch
dressing, well, there’s no shame in that.
It’s Not Just McDonald’s
Some people are wary of ordering using digital food delivery services because they think
they only deliver junk food. This is partially due to the stereotype scene of college kids
ordering McDonald's through Uber Eats at one in the morning. It’s true that, with Uber
Eats, you have the whole world of fast food at your fingertips, however, it’s a misconception
that that’s all Uber Eats is good for. Uber Eats is partnered with hundreds of restaurants,
many of which serve healthy options. You don’t have to sacrifice your family's health to
order in. Fitting time into your hectic schedule to cook a healthy meal every night, all while
keeping the recipes fresh, can be tough, especially if you have kids. Uber Eats can help you take
a load off every once in a while by providing you with a meal that you can feel good about
serving to your family, without actually having to make it yourself. Browse the list of restaurants
near you and choose one with nutritious – and delicious – dishes to order your dinner
from. An added bonus is that you have the whole menu to choose from. You can order a
variety of different meals. This way, everyone in your household is sure to be satisfied
with their personal order.
What About the Drivers?
Maybe you’re a regular Uber Eats customer. You might know the ins and outs of the service,
and have the list of restaurants they deliver from memorized, but do you know what it takes
to be an Uber Eats driver? There are a few criteria someone has to meet in order to be
eligible for the job. They must be 19 or older, with at least one year of driving experience.
They also have to be the owner of a car that’s a 1998 model, at the very least, and obviously,
hold a valid driver’s license to go with it. The criteria are slightly different if
they plan on delivering food from a bicycle or scooter. Uber Eats drivers get paid for
picking up and dropping off each meal, in addition to being paid per mile and time rates
for each delivery. Within the app, there’s an option for customers to tip the driver
who delivered their food. And that’s it, that's the job. Sounds like a pretty sweet
deal, right?
Weirdo Customers
Uber Eats drivers sometimes meet weirdos. Apparently, one rather confused (and potentially
creepy) Uber Eats customer asked their driver for advice on how they should eat their meal.
They actually asked if the driver recommended that they close their eyes and fantasize about
beach parties as they ate. Hopefully that driver turned and ran the other way. Another
customer had ordered donuts as a Valentine’s present for their boyfriend. Sounds normal
enough, until they asked the driver to get in on the festivities by playing “Africa”
by Toto when they delivered the donuts. This is pretty harmless fun, but it’s definitely
a weird thing to ask of the people who just delivered your food. Let’s remember that
these people are doing their job and, even if they’re good-spirited and agree to play
the chorus of “Africa” for you, it’s important to respect their boundaries. Don’t
put your Uber Eats driver in an uncomfortable situation. Tip them instead.
Wacky Requests
We can't forget some of the wackiest, wildest, and downright strangest things people have
ordered through Uber Eats. One of Uber Eats Greatest Hits comes from a person who had
very specific instructions on how their bacon should be cooked. It was to be “extra, extra,
extra crispy”. Basically, they wanted it pretty much burnt. They made this very clear
in their order, by writing an entire paragraph about it. “If you try to bend the bacon
and it breaks, then it is perfect” they instructed, and finished off the message by
adding that the bacon “is the most important part of the meal, so please take the request
seriously.” Sorry to whoever wrote that, but that request is extra, extra extra difficult
to take seriously. Another customer ordered a deconstructed sandwich, saying that they’d
put it together by themselves. We’d like to know the reasoning behind that one. Someone
else promised a 20$ tip in exchange for the restaurant making their spaghetti and lasagna
ridiculously spicy. Someone tell these people that arrabbiata pasta already exists – they
don’t have to go messing with lasagna. And, finally, we have the customer who was all
about the gains. We’ll let his order speak for itself, it read: “Please let the protein
gods bestow my platter with as much meat as possible. Heaps and heaps like the mountains
of the Himalayas. And through the valleys and the streams, an extra scoop of rice -- to
nurture the young landscape. Ok, I'll keep it straight. I need as much meat and rice
on this plate as possible.” Wow. Now that is a wacky request.
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