AI could upend food delivery
DoorDash, the leading food delivery app, sent a form letter in August to a number of Bay Area restaurants warning that they might be listed on Bites without their consent, according to copies of the letter seen by The Verge.
The letter said DoorDash had heard from "several partners" that were added to the competing service. The Verge reported that the email was described as strange by the restaurants that received it.
Bites is a 10-person startup operating as a pre-seed company in the Bay Area, with roughly 300 restaurants signed up. DoorDash processed 970 million orders in its second quarter this year and generated $4.5 billion in revenue, making Bites a small presence by comparison.
The Verge reported that Bites caught DoorDash's attention this summer, ahead of the August emails. The report did not include a response from Bites, and the source material does not state whether any restaurants were in fact listed on Bites without consent or what action, if any, followed the letter.
No further details on the letter's contents, DoorDash's reasons for sending it, or Bites' operations were provided.
Based on reporting from the original publisher. Visit the source for full context and later updates.
Publisher excerpt
DoorDash, the leading food delivery app, processed 970 million orders in its second quarter this year and generated $4.5 billion in revenue. A 10-person startup called Bites is a blip in comparison: It has just around 300 restaurants signed up in the Bay Area, where it's operating as a pre-seed startup. But this summer, Bites […]