Waitr launched grocery delivery service last year in Lake Charles and now the company is expanding the service to east Texas, Lafayette and Baton Rouge area grocers, CEO Chris Meaux says.
Waitr has also targeted Facebook users in Lafayette with ads for grocery delivery, but there is no clear time frame for when the service will be offered there. In Baton Rouge, the company did a soft rollout of the services and now has full grocery delivery at five supermarkets, Tyson Queen, Waitr’s national sales director, says in an email.
“We began testing about 6 months ago in Baton Rouge specifically,” Queen says. “Waitr is committed to growing that sector of our business and anticipates adding many more locations to service its customers.”
Right now, Baton Rouge area residents can get groceries delivered from three Carter’s Supermarkets—one in Walker and two in Denham Springs—and from two Ralph’s Markets in Gonzales. Waitr will soon offer delivery from Alexander’s Highland Market and two Oak Point Fresh Markets, in Greenwell Springs and Watson.
Waitr’s grocery ordering and delivery is provided through the same app as restaurant delivery. Customers just use the app to add items to their virtual grocery cart for delivery. There is a $5 delivery fee.
Companies such as Shipt, Instacart and iShopr have been delivering groceries in Louisiana for months. They offer online ordering and home delivery from Target, Rouses Market, Albertsons, Adrien’s Supermarket, Costco Wholesale, CVS Pharmacy, PetCo and Earl’s Cajun Market.
Waitr also delivers groceries from Market Basket, a regional grocery chain in southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas.
As Business Report details in its most recent cover package, Waitr was sold in May for $308 million to Texas billionaire Tilman Fertitta, transforming the Lake Charles startup.
