Sometimes, dreams really do come true. On Thursday morning, Yum! Brands — the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut — announced that it will be partnering up with Grubhub in order to begin home deliveries. Pizza Hut, of course, has been making deliveries for years, but this will be a first for Taco Bell and KFC.
In addition to the partnership, which will see thousands of Taco Bell and KFC restaurants begin taking online orders and delivering to homes across the country, Yum also purchased $200 million of Grubhub’s stock. Grubhub says that this transaction will allow it to accelerate the expansion of its delivery network, drive more traffic to Yum restaurants and “enhance the ordering and delivery experience for diners, restaurants and drivers.”
“We are committed to making our iconic brands easier to access through online ordering for pickup and delivery, and aggressively pursuing delivery as a strategic global growth opportunity, with nearly half of our 45,000 restaurants already offering it today,” said Yum CEO Greg Creed in regards to the partnership.
In recent months, McDonald’s restaurants have begun delivering food as part of a deal with UberEats. Around 5,000 McDonald’s locations offer delivery now, so it was really only a matter of time before other fast food restaurants began to catch up. After all, customers typically spend more when they order than when they visit in person.
Beyond the deliveries and the stock, Grubhub will engage with Taco Bell and KFC on joint marketing initiatives in order to get the word out about online deliveries and drive customers to order from the restaurants. Plus, Pizza Hut U.S. President Artie Starrs will join the Grubhub board of directors.
