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Uber is buying ezCater: what it means for your catering orders
Uber agreed on October 6, 2026 to buy ezCater, the biggest US online catering marketplace, for $2.3 billion in cash. ezCater lists more than 140,000 restaurants and its average order is over $400 (Uber and ezCater release, checked Oct 2026).
Nothing about restaurant fees or terms has been announced. The deal still needs regulatory approval and is expected to close "in the coming months." Use the wait to make sure your best catering buyers can reorder from you directly.
The deal in six lines
What nobody has said yet
Neither the release nor the trade coverage says anything about restaurant commissions, payout timing, or whether ezCater orders will move into the Uber Eats merchant tools. Treat any claim about new fees as a guess until Uber or ezCater publishes terms.
What you can expect is more corporate demand flowing through one company. Uber already handles delivery for many of the same office buyers. After the deal, the same buyer can find you for lunch delivery and for a 40-person meeting in one place, and that place keeps the buyer's contact details.
Who owns the next order
| Catering marketplace order | Direct catering order | |
|---|---|---|
| Who finds the buyer | The marketplace | You: your website, Google profile, outreach and repeat buyers |
| Who keeps the contact | The marketplace manages the buyer relationship | You, so you can follow up for the next event |
| What you pay | The fee in your partner agreement | Card processing and your ordering tool |
| How the reorder happens | Back through the marketplace | Your link, your phone line or a text to the office manager |
| Best use | Getting found by offices that do not know you yet | Every repeat order after the first |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
ezCater does not publish restaurant commission rates on a public page we could read in Oct 2026, so check your own partner agreement for the number.
Five steps to protect your catering business
- Find your current rate.Pull your ezCater partner agreement and last three payout statements. Write down what you keep from a $400 order today, so you can spot any change after the close.
- Count where catering comes from.List last quarter's catering orders by source: marketplace, phone, website, walk-in. If one marketplace is most of it, that is your risk.
- Make reordering direct and easy.Put a short note with your own catering link or number in every catering delivery. Office managers reorder from whatever is easiest.
- Reach the offices near you.Churches, schools and offices within a few miles order for groups every month. Our step-by-step guide covers it: how to get catering orders from local offices, churches and schools.
- Take payment before you cook.Large orders are where no-shows and unpaid invoices hurt most. A pay-first link removes both; see pay-first ordering.
Keep the marketplace for discovery. Just do not let it be the only way a buyer can reach you.
Catering that comes to you directly, and is paid before you cook
At our proof restaurant in Houston, catering trays are ordered and paid online, the AI phone host takes full catering requests with headcount and dishes, and outreach to local offices runs from the same guest list. Every order is paid before the kitchen starts. We set the same pieces up around your menu and your POS, and keep your marketplace listings running alongside.
Every app order paid before cooking, 60 days running, zero unpaid tickets.
guests known by name, the base for catering follow-up.
phone calls arrive while the restaurant is closed. Every one gets answered.
From our proof restaurant's own systems, Oct 15, 2026.
Where these facts come from
- Nation's Restaurant News: Uber to acquire ezCater for $2.3B (Oct 6, 2026) - checked Oct 2026
- Uber and ezCater joint release, reprinted by Perishable News (Oct 2026) - checked Oct 2026
Questions owners ask
Is Uber buying ezCater?
Yes. Uber agreed on October 6, 2026 to buy ezCater for $2.3 billion in cash. The deal is subject to regulatory approval and was expected to close in the coming months.
Will ezCater fees for restaurants change after the Uber deal?
Nothing has been announced. The deal release and trade coverage in October 2026 say nothing about restaurant commissions or terms. Keep your current partner agreement and statements so you can compare if terms change.
How big is ezCater?
ezCater says it works with over 140,000 restaurants, had more than $2.5 billion in gross bookings over the 12 months before the deal, and has an average order over $400.
Should I leave ezCater?
Not because of the deal alone. Marketplaces are useful for getting found by new offices. The safer move is to make sure repeat buyers can reorder from you directly, through your own link or phone line.
How can a restaurant get catering orders without a marketplace?
Build a list of local offices, churches and schools, find who orders food for groups, send a short email with one link to order and pay, and follow up after each event. Our guide on getting catering orders from local organisations walks through each step.
Want catering buyers who reorder from you?
We set up direct catering ordering, phone intake and local outreach around your menu. Same-day reply.
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