Starbucks has teamed up with Uber Eats to make it a whole lot easier for you to get your coffee fix. If you buy it from Starbucks, that is.
The coffee giant has announced that following a successful trial run in Miami, its “Starbucks Delivers” service is ready to launch in six more U.S. cities.
The app-based delivery service arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday, January 22, with Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. all hopping aboard in the coming weeks. That will see Starbucks Delivers operating at around 2,000 of its stores nationwide.
You can order the delivery of a Starbucks coffee or other drinks and snacks using the Uber Eats app available for both iOS and Android.
Once you’ve placed an order, you can track the progress and location of your Uber Eats courier, who aims to reach you within 30 minutes. The coffee company says it has also developed special packaging to help maintain the quality of hot and cold menu items. Delivery orders include a $2.49 booking fee.
Uber Eats … or Postmates?
Die-hard Starbucks fans will be well aware that the company already has a deal with Postmates for deliveries from some of its stores, but the tie-up with Uber Eats takes the option to even more locations.
During the trial in Florida, Miami.com placed an order for a tall caramel frappuccino with both Uber Eats and Postmates to see how their prices compared. Here’s what it found:
“A tall caramel frappuccino from Starbucks [via Uber] costs $5.25 with a $2.49 booking fee and tax for a total of $8.11 before tip. The same drink on Postmates costs $3.95 plus a $6 delivery fee and tax. Orders below $12 are tagged with a $2 ‘small delivery’ fee, bringing the cost of the drink on Postmates to $13.10.”
Yes, Uber certainly looks like the better option when it comes to cost, but watch out to see if Postmates responds with a more competitive rate.
Starbucks said its app-based service will leverage Uber’s expertise in the delivery market, and will also allow it “to reach new customers who are using the Uber Eats platform, as well as offer existing customers a new method for including Starbucks in their daily routines.”
Uber executive Jason Droege said the plan is to “deliver Starbucks fans their favorite food and beverages in a way that’s as easy as requesting a ride,” adding, “Be it breakfast delivered straight to the soccer field or afternoon lattés to the office, we know this partnership will delight our customers.”
Starbucks also revealed that London has been selected as the first European city for a trial of Starbucks Delivers, with the launch expected in the coming days.
