Whether you are opening a virtual restaurant or you have an existing restaurant, joining a delivery platform is a great way to bring in new business and market your restaurant. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, more and more people are ordering takeout rather than eating in— in some cases this may be the only option. There are tons of options on the market, from DoorDash and GrubHub to Postmates, but one popular option is taking over the restaurant industry.
Uber Eats is available in over 1000 cities and counting, serving over 21 million customers. By joining Uber Eats, restaurant owners get access to their existing customer base, which can provide their delivery business with a huge boost.
What Is Uber Eats?
You may be familiar with Uber as a transportation app. Uber Eats is similar, but instead of driving people around, delivery people pick up and deliver food for a service fee. They help your restaurant cater to a broader range of delivery areas, introduce your restaurant to new customers, and will even supply the technology you need to get started– all you have to do is cook the food in-house.
Why Use Uber Eats For Your Restaurant
There are countless advantages to using a food delivery app instead of just offering delivery or online food ordering on your own. With Uber Eats, all you have to do is cook and package the food, making delivery much more accessible for small businesses. Uber Eats also provides delivery drivers and vehicles. This is a great way to expand your restaurant’s reach without having to supply delivery drivers, cars, and the insurance that accompanies the whole setup.
Other advantages to using a delivery app such as Uber Eats includes:
- New Customer Base: When you partner with Uber Eats, you are listed on their app for their entire existing customer base to see. You will be visible to anyone who uses Uber Eats in your area. Uber Eats has had over 21 million active customers since 2019, and that number keeps on growing.
- Featured On The Home Page: For the first two weeks of your subscription, Uber Eats may feature you on its homepage under “New Restaurants” to attract new customers in your area.
- Visibility: Uber Eats is always marketing and attracting new users. Anytime a new user in your area downloads the app, they will be able to see your restaurant as an option. This will help more people know about your restaurant and provide a steady flow of new customers on an ongoing basis.
- Flexibility: You can choose what features of the Uber Eats app you want to use. For example, if you already have a system in place for delivering your orders, then you can use your drivers to fill orders and will receive a reduced rate on your Uber Eats subscription. This is a great way to reduce costs and still benefit from the app’s other features.
- Increased Sales: By offering delivery, your overall sales will likely increase. After all, food delivery is rapidly becoming popularized. 51% of people in the US use delivery services to order food from restaurants.
How To Set Up Uber Eats
Setting up Uber Eats is easy. All you have to do is start by filling out an interest form to give them some information about your restaurants, such as your name, contact information, and the name and address of your restaurant. They will also want to know the number of locations you have, what type of cuisine you serve, an estimated number of to-go orders you plan to fulfill in a week, and whether or not you have your delivery staff.
After filling out this interest form, the Uber Eats team will get back to you in one to three business days. They will let you know whether or not they have accepted your application.
Uber Eats Manager App
Once you have been accepted, you will need to download the Uber Eats Manager App. Next, look in your email inbox for an email titled “Welcome to Uber Eats.” This email will provide you with a link that will open up the app and allow you to create an account. Create a new account or log into your existing account.
Once in, you will be prompted to add the following things to your profile:
- Uploaded / linked menu
- Menu hours
- Cuisine types
- Pick-up instructions (optional)
- Preferred date to go live (optional)
When providing your complete menu, there are several Uber Eats menu requirements to consider, such as:
- All menus must be typed in English. No handwritten menus will be accepted. In addition to the English copy, you may also submit your menu in Spanish, French, or Mandarin for non-English speakers.
- Your menu must contain all items and prices as well as the times they are available if you have items that are only available at certain times of the day. Be diligent when you send your menu in and double-check all the details.
- Your menu should include descriptions for each menu item. Make sure these are simple and include the stand-out flavors of the dish.
When using Uber Eats, the manager app will become your hub for all your management needs and data analytics and will give you the ability to alter your menu on an ongoing basis.
Financial Information
To get paid for your food orders, you will need to input some financial information on the manager app. Simply navigate to the “Payments” tab on the app and add your bank account details so you may receive payments. Then, navigate to the “Tax Settings” tab to submit your tax information.
Menu Maker
Once your menu has been approved by Uber Eats, you will receive an email titled “Your menu is ready for review.” Login to the manager app and navigate to the “Menu Maker.” Here you will be able to review your menu, adjust offerings and prices. This is also where you will be able to adjust your menu as needed.
You will need to make sure you have quality photos to accompany your menu items. Remember, everyone who comes across your restaurant will be looking at these photos, so take time to get quality pictures. You may even want to consider hiring a company like Nextbite to help you get top-notch photos that will help you get more customers.
Once you have good food photography, you can add your photos to the menu in the “Menu Maker” section. If you are ready to submit your photos for approval, simply click save, and Uber Eats will automatically be notified. The menu selection will then be locked from further edits until your photos are approved by Uber Eats.
The Tech Set Up
Once you have finished setting up your menu and everything has been approved by Uber Eats, you will receive an email titled “Your restaurant is officially live on Uber Eats.” After receiving this email, you are almost ready to start accepting orders. You will need a tablet to use as an order portal for your restaurant. If you do not have a tablet, Uber Eats will supply you with one. If you are using an Uber Eats tablet, you will need to wait until you receive it to begin taking orders.
Uber Eats also offers the option of using your tablet or integrating with your existing POS system if you have one. However, the easiest way to utilize all of the Uber Eats features is with a tablet. Whatever technology you decide to use, follow the setup instructions that you receive with it to install.
Once you have your tech set up and you are live on Uber Eats, it is time to begin accepting orders.
Uber Eats Orders
To begin accepting orders, you will need to download the Uber Eats Orders app onto your tablet. Once you have the app, you will notice that there are three distinct sections: new orders, in-progress orders, and orders that are ready for pickup. There is also a section for order history, where you can view previous orders if you need to reference them.
In the top left corner of the app, there is a menu where you can adjust item availability and your hours of operation. If you need any help, the menu will also have links to resources and helpful Uber Eats support personnel.
At the bottom of the menu, you can “pause” and “play” new orders in case you are running at capacity and need to pause incoming orders.
In Conclusion
If you are interested in becoming an Uber Eats partner, simply sign up here. Uber Eats makes sign-up easy and offers tons of great resources to answer any specific questions that may arise along the way. By becoming an Uber Eats partner, you will expand your reach, bring in new customers, and your sales will likely increase due to the popularity of food delivery services.
So, what are you waiting for? Get started today.
Sources:
What does it cost? Why is it valuable to me? | Merchants & Restaurants | Uber
What menu information do I need to provide for UberEats? | Merchants & Restaurants | Uber
Uber Eats Revenue and Usage Statistics (2021) | Business of Apps