Today In Food: Uber Eats Comes Out On Top, Fast-Casual Brands Join Forces

Today in restaurant and grocery news, Uber touts its global leadership in food delivery just as DoorDash gears up for a major grocery investment. Plus, Panera Breads teams up with other JAB Holding Company brands to pull ahead in the fast-casual space.

DoorDash Prepares For Investment In Grocery Delivery App Gorillas

U.S. food delivery group DoorDash is ready to make a new investment in Berlin-based grocery delivery app Gorillas, the Financial Times (FT) reported. Gorillas’ goal is to make hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding at a valuation of $2.5 billion, according to FT. That amount is far lower than the $6 billion the company initially wanted to raise, and DoorDash has expressed interest in joining the round.

Uber Reigns in Restaurant Delivery, Eyes Grocery Growth

Uber Eats might be winning the food delivery race. On Wednesday (Aug. 4), the company revealed in a presentation shared with analysts that its delivery business totaled $52 billion in annualized gross merchandise value (GMV) in the second quarter of 2021, which was split about evenly between bookings from the United States and Canada and bookings from the rest of the world, and was higher than any of the company’s global competitors.

Panera, Caribou and Einstein Bros. Consolidate into Mega-Group Amid Fast-Casual Growth

There is strength in numbers (in this case, in the number three). JAB Holding Company, the parent company of a range of food and drink brands, has merged three of its subsidiaries — Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels — into Panera Brands, the combined company announced on Thursday (August 5).

Grocery Roundup: Grocers Expand Beyond the Supermarket

This week in grocery, Hy-Vee gets into wine and spirits, Kroger announces two major partnerships, VCs back plant-based foods and Southeastern Grocers tries to direct consumers to its plant-based offerings.