Amazon is expanding its local restaurant meal delivery service in the U.S. with the news that it’s open to Prime Now users in Chicago.
The Internet giant first experimented with meal deliveries in its home city of Seattle last September, however, promptly opened things up to a handful of new markets in Los Angeles, Austin, and Portland.
Available to members of Amazon’s annual $99 Prime subscription, the standalone Prime Now app offers 1-hour and 2-hour deliveries on a myriad of items for sale on Amazon. However, with the expansion into local restaurant deliveries too, Amazon is flexing its logistics- and delivery-muscles and sees it compete with the likes of Uber and Postmates.
Local eateries included in the latest rollout include Big Bowl, Balena, Big Star, Chicago Q, M Burger, and others across 18 zip codes. Through the Prime Now app, shoppers can peruse menus and place orders, with restaurants promising to deliver within 60 minutes.
Prime Now is available in several more U.S. conurbations, so it’s likely that Amazon-branded meal deliveries will be landing in the likes of San Francisco and New York in the coming months.