Living in a bustling city like New York means you often don’t have the time to cook. So when you need something for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a midnight snack, it’s easy to turn to an app to order delivery near me. But with so many third-party food delivery apps out there, it can be difficult to know which one is the best.

These services act as marketplaces - kind of like an online directory sorted by location and food type, letting customers browse menus and place orders on their smartphones or desktops. Most have independent contractors (called “Dashers”) that deliver meals from restaurants and other eateries, but some of them also integrate with a restaurant’s own online ordering system. The latter can be a better option for a restaurant, as it allows them to keep more of the profits and control over their own operations, rather than having an outside company handle it for them.

Some of the most popular apps for food delivery near me include Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Caviar. All three offer a great selection of hotspots in New York City and are well-known for their efficiency. However, they can be limited by their geographical reach.

For instance, Uber Eats can only connect you to restaurants in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and parts of Queens. While it can’t connect you to every eatery in the city, it does have a good selection of popular chains. Similarly, DoorDash only works in the most populous areas and features some of America’s favorite fast-food companies like Shake Shack, Taco Bell, and Cheesecake Factory.

But the recently acquired Postmates is a much more extensive and versatile service. It can connect you to a variety of restaurants in New York, including Michelin-starred ones, as well as grocery stores and delis. Plus, its contactless payment option means you can pay with your phone and skip the line at the register.

Another unique feature of Postmates is that it’s the only service that offers a subscription plan. For $10 a month, you can enjoy unlimited deliveries from the app’s partners. The price is a bit steeper than the other options, but the convenience is worth it.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s no doubt that food delivery apps will continue to be in high demand in the months and years to come. And as more consumers are turning to these services to avoid the hassle of preparing and cleaning up after cooking, it’s important that restaurants get ahead of the game by offering their own in-house food delivery options. Whether that’s by integrating a delivery-only option into their website or hiring and training in-house drivers.online food delivery