Facebook is launching a new “Order Food” feature so you can stop looking through every app to figure out what’s for dinner.
Instead of adding to the pile of dedicated food ordering services, Facebook is putting them all together right on its platform. The social network announced Friday that it will partner with EatStreet, Delivery.com, DoorDash, ChowNow, and Olo, as well as restaurants like Jack in the Box, Five Guys, Papa John’s, TGI Friday’s, Wing Stop, and Panera.
One of the best things about food delivery services is that they bring meals from local restaurants that don’t have the resources to offer the convenience themselves. Facebook made it a point to include a large variety of restaurants, from mom-and-pop dives to national chains. We took a quick look to see what was offered, and while the majority were chains, there were several great local Austin spots near us.
To start ordering food, head over to the Facebook “Explore” feed by pressing on the icon with three horizontal lines. There, under “Favorites” you’ll find a light blue circle with a knife and fork that says “Order Food.” After pressing on it, you’ll be shown “Restaurants near you.”
https://www.facebook.com/facebook/videos/10156593940706729/
This page presents three nearby restaurants to choose from. To see more places, press on “See all.” Here, you can filter by price or only see restaurants that are open. You can also add a new location to search from and choose if you want pickup or delivery.
Once you’ve figured out what you’d like to order, press on “Start order” next to the name of the restaurant of choice. That option will not appear if the restaurant is closed. Next, you can choose which service to use if more than one delivers to that restaurant (this will determine how much you pay in fees). If you’re either dead-set on a place or want to check if Facebook delivers from a specific restaurant, you can type its name in the search bar, find it under “Places,” and see if “Start Order” appears next to it (see below video).
https://www.facebook.com/facebook/videos/10156593943136729/
If you’re craving a specific type of food, you can browse by category in the “Cuisines” section on the main page. Oh, and you’ll need to sign in to each individual delivery service before you can make an order. Facebook says you can do everything without closing the app.
The goal for Facebook is to keep people engaged in its app and prevent users from leaving for dedicated services. Interestingly, the company does not charge fees or split profits with its delivery partners.
Facebook says its been working on this feature since last year and is rolling it out to users in the U.S. on iOS, Android, and desktop.