Food delivery a surprise standout for Uber

San Francisco

FOR years, Bob Gordon, the owner of Footprints Cafe in Brooklyn, handled the delivery of his restaurant's meals, such as his Caribbean-inspired "Rasta Pasta", to customers. So when he decided to work for the first time with an outside delivery service - UberEats, the delivery arm of the ride-hailing giant Uber - he was nervous.

Then, the orders started pouring in.

"We weren't prepared for the volume that came in through UberEats this year," Mr Gordon, 46, said. "I myself, as an owner, had to work three weeks straight cooking on the food line just to keep up."

By winning over restaurant owners such as Mr Gordon, Uber has barrelled into the crowded, cut-throat space of food delivery.

As its new chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the company with an eye towards an initial public offering in the next 18 to 36 months, top executives believe UberEats could generate enormous growth.…