Facebook is now making it easier for you to order food from your favorite restaurants directly within its app, without moving into another food ordering apps. In the main Facebook navigation on both web and mobile, a new option called “Order Food†is launched to select users.
A colorful hamburger icon on desktop and a blue-and-white hamburger icon on mobile, the option lets Facebook users place food pickup and delivery orders from restaurants using Delivery.com or Slice.
The entire process, from ordering to checkout, takes place on Facebook when you use this menu option. The feature is an expansion on a previously announced deal with online ordering businesses, Delivery.com and Slice, which Facebook detailed back in October. At that time, the company said that it would allow Facebook users to place orders with supported restaurants from their own Facebook Pages through a “Start Order†button.
The “Order Food†feature in the main navigation works similarly, but makes it more convenient as it is combination of all the supported restaurants together on one page. Here, you’ll find a list of restaurants, which include a featured photo, price range, star ratings, and type of cuisine. It will also display whether delivery, pickup or both are available.
You can then click “Start Order†to begin the ordering process much like you could before, if ordering directly from the restaurant’s Facebook Page. After payment, a confirmation screen appears and now you’ll also receive an email to confirm your order and a time frame when the order is expected to arrive or be ready for pickup. Over the past several months, Facebook has introduced a number of these sorts of features, including weather, a networking section called “discover people,†a travel section called “city guides,†government info via “town hall,†an online jobs board, fundraisers, instant games, and more.
We understand from sources familiar with product, however, that the functionality is the same as what was unveiled in October, but Facebook is now testing a new entry point for ordering food through its main navigation. Because this is a test, not all Facebook users may see the option at this time.
