CHICAGO _ McDonald's said delivery through UberEats will be available in about 1 in 4 of its U.S. locations by the end of June, or about 3,500 restaurants in total.
The world's largest burger chain, headquartered in suburban Chicago, currently offers delivery via UberEats from more than 2,000 restaurants nationwide, in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta.
Speaking at a conference in New York on Wednesday morning, CEO Steve Easterbrook said McDonald's will continue to expand its delivery services as UberEats grows.
McDonald's, which tested the service in several cities in Florida earlier this year, said it's "encouraged by early results." Almost 60 percent of orders are being placed in the evening hours or after midnight, times of the day when McDonald's restaurants are typically slowest. This is allowing franchisees, who run most of McDonald's restaurants, to extend their business at a time when they would typically not be producing many sales.
Delivery is attracting young customers, Easterbrook said, a group that McDonald's has had difficulty winning from competitors in recent years.
But delivery still comes with big risks. UberEats' delivery charge is $5, more than nearly all of the chain's menu items. There's also the chance that a customer might be disappointed with soggy fries or a cold burger.
McDonald's says that because of its massive number of locations, food doesn't have a chance to get cold. The food isn't made until an UberEats driver arrives at the restaurant for pickup.
The average delivery now takes about 30 minutes, shorter than many other options on UberEats, Easterbrook said.
