Some eateries sit out the 3rd-party food delivery boom

By DEE-ANN DURBIN

AP Business Writer

Food-delivery services such as Uber Eats and Grubhub are taking off like a rocket. But some restaurants aren’t on board.

Jimmy John’s sandwich chain launched a national ad campaign last week promising never to use third-party delivery. It says its own drivers can best ensure fast, quality service.

Jimmy John’s is swimming against the tide. Starbucks recently announced it’s expanding delivery to more U.S. stores through Uber Eats. McDonald’s also partners with that service. And Taco Bell is launching delivery nationwide through Grubhub.

But others besides Jimmy John’s have also rejected third-party delivery, including Domino’s, Panera Bread and Olive Garden.

They say they have expertise in delivery, and they don’t like paying commissions or sharing data with third parties, even though third parties can help them bring in more business.