We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
Facebook has its own take on pretty much every popular app around—you can create Snapchat-esque stories and watch original video content a la YouTube. And now, the social media site is coming for your food by launching an ordering service in partnership with some of the most popular delivery companies in order to make takeout easier than ever.
This new service isn’t an independent Facebook venture—basically, don’t expect Facebook employees to show up at your doorstep with pizza—but rather a collaboration with established delivery sites like GrubHub and Delivery.com. To expand its culinary offerings, the network is also partnering with restaurant chains like Chipotle, Five Guys, Panera, and Denny’s.
“Ordering food for takeout or delivery is supposed to be simple… but somehow, it’s gotten complicated. First you need to decide what to eat, then you have to sift through a bunch of options and services,” writes Alex Himel, Facebook’s VP of local, in a blog post. “People already go to Facebook to figure out what to eat by reading about nearby restaurants and seeing what their friends say about them. Today, we’re taking the time out of finding what you want to eat.”
This new service is available via Facebook’s “Explore” menu, under the “Order Food” option. Once there, you can choose from a long list of local restaurants and narrow down your search by cuisine, price point, and even pickup versus delivery. Some restaurants give you the option of choosing your preferred delivery service, while others take you directly to the third party site to place your order.
But Facebook’s newest service is more than just a curation of available food delivery: It also integrates the networking aspect that made the site so big in the first place.
Clicking on the restaurant’s profile automatically takes you to its Facebook page, where you can see reviews left by friends and strangers, note whether anyone you know has recently eaten there—then ask that person for food recommendations, naturally—and even message the restaurant.
One caveat, though: Not every restaurant offers delivery, so you might have to go pick your food up. But thanks to the service, you can see exactly how many miles you’ll have to walk—and whether or not it’s worth it to just opt for a different venue that will deliver your sushi right to your door.
See more meal delivery:
The Best Meal Subscription Service, According to Your Eating Habits
Amazon May Soon Be Launching a Meal Delivery Service
This Jar Meal Company Wants to Change Fast Food