Uber Eats enters DoorDash and Goldbelly's turf by launching nationwide shipping of gourmet foods from 4 US cities

• Starting June 7, Uber Eats customers can get free nationwide shipping from top food merchants.
• Last year, DoorDash started nationwide shipping of gourmet meals from merchants like Carlo's Bakery.

Uber Eats is taking on DoorDash and market leader Goldbelly by launching free nationwide shipping of popular gourmet foods from more than a dozen restaurants and food shops.

Starting June 7, Uber Eats customers in the US can find options for shipping bagels, Cuban dishes, macarons, and chimichurri sauces from popular merchants in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Miami. Shipping is free and packages are delivered by FedEx, an Uber Eats spokesperson told Insider. App prices will be set by merchants and reflect "the demand for these products, additional packaging, bulk product, and the effort put into preparing for their journeys," Uber said in an email.

Merchants offering shipping via Uber Eats are the following: Bludso's BBQ, Gotta Have S'More, Dreamy Creations, Western Bagel, Lala's Argentine Grill, Lette Macarons, and The Pie Hole, all in Los Angeles; Sarge's Deli, Juice Press, and Wafels & Dinges, all in New York City; Sergio's, George Stone Crab, Doggi's Arepa Bar, and Sabores Market, all in Miami; and Stirred, Not Shaken and La Fromagerie, both in San Francisco.

Luke Kelley-Chew, lead product manager, said Uber Eats is "thrilled to help hungry consumers" get some the nation's best meals delivered to their doorstep.

"People travel from around the world to taste the restaurants of NYC, LA and Miami, so we're excited to make their beloved restaurants accessible to the whole country and expand to additional cities soon," Kelley-Chew said.

Before Uber Eats, DoorDash waded into Goldbelly's turf In November when it launched nationwide shipping for merchants such as Carlo's Bakery and Katz's Delicatessen. Goldbelly, founded in 2013, is a marketplace that curates legendary foods from around the US and makes them available for national delivery. Most of the items on its marketplace are shipped for free.

Apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash are now chasing the well-established leader, backed in 2018 by Danny Meyer's Enlightened Hospitality Investments.

DoorDash ships for free with arrival in two to four days from the date of order. Average delivery time for Uber Eats' shipping program is five to seven days, according to the app. However, a spokesperson said "through testing we've seen most orders arrive in 4-5 days."

Uber said consumers can soon expect more merchant choices in more cities.

Uber Eats' move to offer free shipping comes as on-demand food delivery apps diversify their business models to give consumers more choices beyond restaurant meals.

Since the 2020, DoorDash and Uber Eats have expanded beyond restaurants by adding grocers and convenience stores to their roster of merchants, a move that has put them in direct competition with grocery ecommerce leader Instacart and ultrafast players like Gopuff.

Uber Eats and DoorDash deliver groceries, drugstore goods, and other household staples from retailers such as Albertsons, Kroger, Dollar General, PetSmart, 7-Eleven, Walgreens, Smart & Final, as well as dozens of local liquor stores.

Are you an Uber Eats or DoorDash insider with insight to share? Got a tip? Contact this reporter via email at nluna@insider.com or via Signal encrypted number 714-875-6218 on a non-work device.