Earlier this year, Amazon tackled another service for shut-ins, launching restaurant delivery in Manhattan. Today, they're expanding that service to include Brooklyn (parts, anyway) via their Prime Now program, which delivers a number of different items within a one hour window.
Like the Manhattan version, the service is zip code-based, so not all restaurants are available to all areas. There are 130 restaurant currently participating, so Park Slopers can get food from spots including El Atoradero, Franny's and Four & Twenty Blackbirds, while Williamsburg gets Saltie, Naked Dog and Roberta's, among others.
So what makes Amazon's offerings any different from similar delivery startups like Caviar, Doordash, and Postmates? They won't charge a delivery fee and prices for delivery will be exactly what you would pay if you left your home to eat at the restaurant itself. Amazon even promises to reimburse you the difference if you spot any markups to the delivery.
As we've said before: while the convenience of these services is wonderful, it's important to keep in mind that restaurants spend more money to be hosted on sites like this. Amazon has reportedly charged restaurants 27.5% of the check, which is double what some other providers charge. Amazon told Recode this would "[take] the burden of delivery off a restaurant's back."
Using the service requires an Amazon Prime membership, which someday soon will hopefully offer services like Surrogate Workouts and Attending Your Friend's Staged Reading.
