Startups

Get fancy food delivered to your doorstep with Caviar

Meet the newest entrant to Philadelphia's instant gratification economy (and get free delivery all month).

The entrDonovan body scanner. Courtesy photo

Caviar, a San Francisco-based startup that was recently acquired by Square for $90 million, is the latest entrant to the instant gratification landscape in Philadelphia.

The startup is like delivery service Postmates for higher-end food. Its messengers will deliver any dish from a Caviar partner restaurant for a $4.99, plus an 18 percent fee. Philly is the company’s 12th market. The service launched yesterday.

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Caviar delivers food from 40 restaurants that don’t usually deliver, like Brauhaus Schmitz, Amada and Federal Donuts. Delivery is free for the month of October. Caviar is starting out by delivering to Center City, University City, South Philly and Northern Liberties, according to the Business Journal.

The startup has three employees in Philly, led by GM Steve Harrell, who previously ran Sidecar‘s failed expansion to Philly. They’re working out of a shared office space at 13th and Race Streets and plan to hire more as the local presence grows. We spotted Harrell making deliveries today.

The company doesn’t charge restaurants to be partners. Instead, it makes money from the 18 percent fee (messengers keep the $4.99 delivery charge and an undisclosed percent of the fee), according to Eater. From a quick check, Caviar doesn’t seem to be inflating prices in Philadelphia, though Eater reported it was doing so in New York earlier this year.

Companies: Square
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