McDonald’s

handed off to be delivered.

Marsha Graham, owner and operator of the McDonald’s on Trooper Road in Audubon, said that this specific timed out system is put in place to ensure freshness.

“The way we have the alert system set up, we’re not even making the food until the driver is on his way,” Graham said. “That way, we can deliver a really fresh product. I think that’s our biggest advantage (over other food delivery services).”

UberEATS has been delivering to larger cities since 2015, with origins in Toronto, Ontario and have since expanded into 30 countries on six continents — delivering from hundreds of different restaurants.

Craig Ewer, Uber representative for the Pennsylvania region, explained that Uber was looking to expand further into food delivery, and that the partnership with McDonald’s puts them over the edge with possible consumers.

“Uber has completely changed the way we move around cities, and we wanted to expand that into food delivery,” Ewer said. “It’s great to have such a beloved chain as McDonald’s with us.”

McDonald’s and UberEATS launched a successful test market in Florida in May 2017; McDonald’s being the highest searched location for delivery. The service was expanded into the Philadelphia area in midJune.

Ewer said that in Philadelphia proper, the most popular order times were

between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., with Ewer saying these numbers may relate to college students in the city.

Graham said that at the Audubon location, they receive about 40 UberEATS orders a week, particularly around lunch time, which she accredits to people possibly getting lunch delivered at work.

“As people want convenience, they want to use it on their phone and get it immediately,” Graham said. “This is just another way that we can offer McDonald’s food quickly at their convenience.”

Ewer said that there are tentative plans to expand further from the Philadelphia area into more locations in Montgomery and Chester counties, as well as into Berks County.

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MICHAEL SNEFF — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA The sign at the McDonald’s on South Trooper Road in Audubon lets customers know that it offers delivery through UberEATS. The chain has expanded its delivery in Montgomery and Chester counties.