Starbucks heats up on-demand delivery

Coffee fans in five new markets can get a cup of Starbucks coffee by opening their door.

Starbucks Coffee Co. is expanding its Starbucks Delivers on-demand delivery service to Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and New Jersey, and is also further expanding it in the New York metro area. The delivery program, which initially launched as a pilot in partnership with Uber Eats in late 2018, is now available in a total of 16 major U.S. markets and will reach national availability in early 2020.

The delivery service, which offers about 95% of core items on the Starbucks menu, is available via the Uber Eats mobile app on iOS and Android devices. Customers can follow orders within the mobile app, tracking progress and location of their Uber courier. Starbucks has also developed packaging to help ensure the quality of hot and cold menu items. 

Orders can be customized as they would for orders on Starbucks mobile apps. Delivery orders have a $0.49 delivery fee and 15% service fee. There is a small order fee of $2 for orders under $10.

“Following our recent commitment to make delivery available nationwide in 2020, we are excited to bring Starbucks Delivers to five more major U.S. markets,” said Roz Brewer, group president and COO for Starbucks. “The expansion of Starbucks Delivers is part of our continuous effort to enhance the retail experience and provide customers another convenient option to enjoy Starbucks wherever they are.”

In addition to the U.S., Starbucks has launched delivery programs in more than 15 global markets, including Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, the U.K., and Vietnam. Starbucks has made several investments to its global delivery initiatives, including voice ordering and delivery capabilities through Alibaba’s delivery platform Ele.me in China and expanding Starbucks Delivers, in partnership with Uber Eats, to 11 major markets in the U.K.