The UberEats food delivery juggernaut continues to roll on, with the company acquiring David Chang’s Ando. Ando launched as a smartphone app in May 2016 but opened a bricks-and-mortar location in spring last year in New York’s Union Square. The app was created by David Chang to offer a range of chef-quality dishes in Manhattan, and had previously worked with Uber for some of its deliveries.
“We’ve worked with Uber to power our delivery from the start, and we’re excited our team and technology will play a role in their vision of building the world’s leading food delivery service going forward,” the company said in a statement on its website.
“We are committed to investing in technology that helps consumers, delivery and restaurant partners alike,” said Jason Droege, head of Uber Everything. “Ando’s insights will help our restaurant technology team as we work with our restaurant partners to grow their business.”
However, concerns have been raised that Uber is seeking a monopoly on the food delivery market. The backing of Uber has made it hard for smaller, independent food delivery companies to make their mark. FoodTaxi, a food delivery service which had been operating out of Christchurch for a year and a half, was forced to close after being unable to keep up with the cheaper delivery fees and larger range of Uber.
