If AmazonFresh or similar services never appealed because it meant you’d actually have to enter the kitchen yourself and attempt to knock up a mouthwatering plate of food, or simply a plate of food, then the company’s move into the restaurant takeout and delivery space is sure to appeal.
As reported by Engadget, the e-commerce giant in recent days quietly started its new food-based service in its hometown of Seattle as part of its ongoing expansion of Amazon Local.
If you’re familiar with the likes of GrubHub or Seamless, then Amazon’s latest service needs no explanation. For those not in the know, it does pretty much what it says on the tin – you can browse restaurants in your local area, order whatever takes your fancy, and arrange to pick it up or have it delivered directly to your location.
The restaurants – not Amazon – take care of delivering the dishes; Amazon simply facilitates the online ordering process via your account and credit card, and, of course, takes a cut of every done deal.
If the Seattle trial proves a hit, we’ll be sure to see it rolled out on a wider scale in the near future. More than 100 restaurants currently show up for folks in the Seattle area, so the only issue should be deciding which one to go for when the stomach starts calling out for sustenance.
With a growing number of startups getting into the food delivery game, it’s little surprise Amazon has found a way of incorporating an element of it into its Local service, taking a percentage of orders made through its website while at same time offering restaurants another way of promoting their business.
Seattle citizens can take the service for a spin now by hitting the new Takeout & Delivery tab at the top of their Amazon Local page.
