Facebook wants to develop itself as a one-stop solution for almost all you need. In line with that, the social networking giant on Friday announced that users can now order food for takeout or delivery using Facebook’s mobile app and website.
“Today, we’re taking the time out of finding what you want to eat by officially launching the ability to order food for pick-up or delivery, directly on Facebook,” the social networking giant said in a blog post announcing the new service. Alex Himel, a Facebook vice president, said that the company is just trying to make it “easier” for the users. According to Himel, it was “complicated” for users to first search a restaurant on the site, and then log onto a third-party service, or call the restaurant to deliver the food.
For the Facebook Order Food option, the company has partnered with several third-party services like ChowNow, Zuppler, Olo, DoorDash, EatStreet, Delivery.com, and Slice. The social networking giant has also partnered with some restaurant chains directly such as Wingstop, TGI Friday’s, Denny’s, Five Guys, Papa John’s, Panera, Chipotle, Jimmy John’s, Jack in the Box, and El Pollo Loco.
To order the food, all you have to do is go to the new “Order Food” area under the Explore section, select the spot that you want to order from, and then press “start order.” If that restaurant is tied with the delivery service that Facebook has partnered with, you will be allowed to choose the service. For instance, if you already have an account with Delivery.com, you can go to the service by using your existing login credentials.
Further, to help make a decision, users can also read reviews from friends about the restaurant they are planning to order from. “From local spots to national chains, Facebook connects you with old favorites and new discoveries in just a few taps,” reads the blog post.
Facebook Order Food option has been in testing since last year, during which the company worked on adding more partners and address user feedback. Facebook Order Food option is now available to U.S. users on iOS, Android and desktop.
It is not the first time that Facebook has integrated food ordering into the platform. Last fall, the company partnered with a couple of online ordering services, Slice and Delivery.com, to allow users to order food from the supported restaurants directly from a users Facebook page, notes TechCrunch.
Now adding the Facebook Order Food option can surely be seen as an effort by the company to expand its presence in the restaurant industry. Mostly all restaurants maintain a Facebook page currently, and the company has seen a surge in users searching for food on the platform. Facebook says it currently has no plans to hire drivers to deliver the food directly, but hopes the new feature will encourage users to stay on the platform for longer.
Facebook is not the only tech company to do this. Recently, Amazon partnered with Olo, which offers order and pay technology across U.S. locations. Though Amazon might not be making money on the food orders, its delivery service surely helps with valuable user data, notes Bloomberg.
