McDelivery Is McDominating In 1,000 New Markets

3,500 more McDonald’s markets are going to be lovin’ it by the end of June as delivery service rolls out to even more restaurants. McDelivery on the UberEATS app is available from more than 2,000 restaurants around the country, with 1,000 new stores added in the last week.

On Wednesday (May 31), McDelivery with UberEATS launched at locations in the New York Metro Area, Fresno, Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Washington, D.C.

That’s on top of the locations where it was already available, including Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego and Tampa.

CEO and President Steve Easterbrook told the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference in New York that McDonald’s sees great potential with delivery for a few reasons.

First, the company has recently seen positive momentum and improved operating performance, and delivery is projected to accelerate future growth. So far, Easterbrook said, he’s been “encouraged” by how well delivery is resonating, especially with younger customers. The majority of orders are now being placed during the evening or late night.

Second, said Easterbrook, in five of McDonald’s largest markets, 75 percent of the population is living within three miles of a restaurant. That’s an opportunity that the UberEATS McDelivery service will tap.

“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, but also know that there is more to do,” Easterbrook said. “No one has more demanding expectations of our business than we do — and we’re convinced we’ve only scratched the surface.”

The delivery push is part of the company’s Velocity Growth Plan. McDonald’s aims to keep and convert customers by touting its business as a destination for family occasions and breakfast and improving value with dollar beverages, increased coffee and snack offerings, and the introduction of fresh beef in quarter-pound burgers by mid-2018.