The days of getting your sushi burrito delivered in six minutes are over.
Just over a year after its launch, UberEats has nixed its “instant” service—in which drivers carried a limited selection of pre-prepared dishes around with them in their cars for extra speedy drop-offs. The company is instead focusing exclusively on its regular UberEats service, which features hundreds of restaurants in more neighborhoods.
According to Uber, it wasn’t that the instant service was totally unpopular, but rather that devoting all their resources to the regular delivery service means more drivers will be able to deliver more options to people more quickly. UberEats instant delivery drivers were limited in geography and typically only carried three or four dishes at any given time. Uber found choice was one of the most important factors for its customers.
While the instant service promised delivery in 10 minutes or less, the regular UberEats service still has some relatively fast options. From Washingtonian‘s downtown office, there are a few places where the estimated delivery times are as low as 15 minutes.
I can get a sushi burrito in 23.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
