Uber Eats exits Czech market, ride service will continue

Food delivery service Uber Eats will be closing its operations in the Czech Republic and seven other markets, as it failed to reach its target goals. The service will cease at the end of the day on June 3.

The parent company said it was leaving those markets because it did not see enough progress toward becoming the number one or two food delivery services there, which is the company’s stated long-term objective.

Aside from leaving the Czech Republic, Uber Eats will also exit Egypt, Honduras, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and Uruguay, and wind down the Eats app and transition operations to Careem in UAE. Careem is a wholly owned subsidiary of Uber active in the Middle East.

The company said the move was in line with a strategy of focusing its energy and resources on its top markets around the world.

“After years of partnering with local restaurants to offer convenient, reliable food delivery, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue Uber Eats in the Czech Republic at the end of June 3,” Uber Eats said in an emailed statement.

“While we are sad that Uber Eats is leaving the Czech Republic, we are committed to continue serving our communities here through our Uber Rides business. Our number one priority now is to minimize the impact on the valued employees, restaurant partners, delivery partners and consumers who have supported us,” the company said, adding that it thanked the “Uber Eats Czech Republic community” from partners to eaters for its support.

Uber Eats started its Prague operation in 2018 be delivering food from McDonald’s outlets at Muzeum, Vodičkova, Florenc and Eden. It later expanded its services to include more restaurants.

The change will not affect Uber’s core ride services, which will continue in the affected markets.

People wishing to get food delivery won’t be left without options. Czech-based Dáme Jídlo has long been on the local market. They were more recently joined by Bolt Food, run by the Bolt ride company, and Finnish-based Wolt.