This week in restaurant tech: DoorDash expanded its healthcare delivery vertical, delivery fee caps fell in Huntington Beach and more.
DoorDash starts delivering COVID tests. The company has partnered with digital health companies Vault Health and Everlywell to provide on-demand delivery of their FDA-approved test kits.
The kits will be available from DashMart micro-fulfillment centers in 12 cities, including Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis and Phoenix. Customers can order the tests on the DoorDash app for same-day delivery. DoorDash is also working with Vault to provide white-label delivery in 20 Vault markets.
It represents a continued expansion for DoorDash into delivering goods beyond food. Its healthcare business also includes agreements with Walgreens, CVS and Sam’s Club.
Delivery fee caps are dealt a rare defeat. The Huntington Beach, Calif., City Council last week voted against a cap on the fees that third-party delivery companies charge restaurants. The ordinance proposed a 20% cap on those charges.
“The government shouldn’t be involved in modifying contracts or setting prices, whether it’s an emergency or a perceived monopoly,” said Councilmember Mike Posey, according to the Voice of OC. He encouraged customers to support restaurants by picking up the food themselves and tipping well.
Temporary fee caps have become widespread during the pandemic as governments step in to help restaurants that have increasingly depended on delivery. But not everyone believes they are the best long-term solution.
Last week, Akron, Ohio, became the latest municipality with such a cap when its City Council unanimously approved a 15% limit.
Toast partners with a digital signage leader. The POS provider’s technology now integrates with Raydiant’s signage platform, allowing restaurants to update digital menu boards through a single interface.
“This is the first integration of its kind to solve a major problem for restaurateurs: having a central hub where they can manage and update all their digital menus and signage,” said Raydiant CEO Bobby Marhamat in a statement.
Restaurants can use the integrated platform to manage digital in-store and drive-thru-menus, self-service kiosks, self-service POS, smart price tags, social walls and more, the companies said.
Revolution adds Google ordering. The online-ordering provider’s Order One platform now supports orders through the Google search engine and maps. Restaurants that use Order One will soon see an “Order Now” button on their Google profile, Revolution said.
Jason’s Deli is Revolution’s first client to go live with Google ordering. Orders placed on Google flow directly into Jason’s POS and also connect to its delivery services, all coordinated via Order One’s integrations.
The new feature has optimized online ordering opportunities for restaurants and improved convenience for customers, said Jason’s Director of IT Amy Schuster in a statement.
Waitr partners with Otter. The delivery company now integrates into Otter’s online-order management platform, which will route Waitr orders directly to a single tablet for restaurants. The goal is to streamline off-premise operations.
It is the latest in a series of integrations for Waitr aimed at expanding its restaurant base, particularly with large chains.
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Shake Shack launches in-app delivery with Uber Eats.
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