Announcing a pact to partner for deliveries nationwide today, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG -0.96%) and Uber Technologies' (UBER -3.24%) Uber Eats are cooperating to deliver burritos, tacos, and other Mexican-style foods right to customers' doorsteps across America. Customers ordering online or through an app can customize their purchases, with a Delivery Kitchen team standing by at most outlets to make and package the meals.
Image source: Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Several features of the new arrangement aim directly at providing the healthiest possible eating experience to customers placing digital orders while the COVID-19 situation continues. All orders Chipotle sends out via Uber Eats are packed in special sealed packaging, designed to show whether the food has been tampered with. This helps to reassure recipients that their meal hasn't been touched by human hands since it left the restaurant's kitchens. The digital ordering process also lets customers opt for a "no-contact" delivery, which leaves the bag outside their door.
While the delivery partnership between Uber Eats and Chipotle is permanent, a special promotion applies from March 18 to March 31. During this period, orders between $10 and $200 come with zero delivery fee. Normal service fees still apply, however, and certain types of orders, such as catering, don't qualify for free delivery.
Chipotle aims to increase its delivery footprint during 2020, according to company statements. The new program may help it recover from its recent stock value plunge due to the coronavirus pandemic. The restaurant also plans to open drive-through digital order pick-up lanes at its locations this year so customers can retrieve food purchased online without leaving their vehicle.
