Amazon in big restaurant push

Amazon is upping its restaurant delivery program in a move to add some of the nation's best-known chains to its menu.



Olo, a New York-based food delivery service, announced that it is integrating Amazon Restaurants’ delivery service into its ordering platform. The collaboration potentially gives the online giant access to 200 restaurant brands, including Chipotle, Denny’s, Five Guys Burgers & Fries and Jamba Juice, among others.



Rails, Olo’s application programming interface (API), enables restaurant partners to easily list their menus on third-party marketplaces — eliminating the need to install tablets and manage orders in multiple places. Customer orders entering the system from the newly integrated Amazon Restaurants will reduce confirmation and response times — and the likelihood of manual errors.



“We are excited to leverage Olo’s digital ordering technology and continue rapidly growing our network of restaurants to give Amazon Prime members more options for fast delivery from their favorite brands,” said Gus Lopez, general manager of Amazon Restaurants. “This integration will enable Amazon Restaurants to onboard new restaurants with ease, as well as quickly add more new choices and delivery options for customers.”



Restaurants on Olo’s network offer customers counter and curbside pickup options for orders placed by phone, Web, mobile Web, app, as well as artificial intelligence-based devices, including Amazon’s Alexa-enabled devices. Olo also integrates into 25 leading POS systems, which supports more accurate order preparation and completion, and eliminates wait times.



The service is another way for Amazon to expand its physical presence. With the recent acquisition of Whole Foods, the e-retailer added more than 400 grocery stores to its physical retailing network. It also operates a growing chain of brick-and-mortar bookstores, AmazonFresh pickup stations, and cashier-free Amazon Go convenience stores operating in Seattle.