Facebook grabs some food delivery action

Facebook has announced plans to get into the food delivery business Stateside, launching the ability to order food for pick-up or delivery via the social media platform. “People already go to Facebook to figure out what to eat by reading about nearby restaurants, and seeing what their friends say about them. So, we’re making it even easier,” says Alex Himel, VP of Local in a blog post.

The offering combines options from food ordering services like EatStreet, Delivery.com, DoorDash, ChowNow and Olo, as well as restaurants like Jack in the Box, Five Guys, Papa John’s and Panera, so users don’t have to search through multiple places to find what they’re looking for. They can browse restaurants nearby by visiting the Order Food section in the Explore menu. There they can go through food options and select Start Order when they’ve found what they’re looking for. “If the restaurant you want to order from offers takeout or delivery with multiple services, you can select which service you’d like to use. For example, if you have an account with Delivery.com, you can easily order with your existing login. If you don’t have an account with that service, you can quickly and easily sign up, without leaving the Facebook app,” says Himel.

Facebook has been testing the service since last year, and after responding to feedback and adding more partners, is rolling out across the US on iOS, Android and desktop. In a nutshell, it wants to stop users jumping to another app or website when making a food order. Be warned, we are Facebook, you will never leave us!