DoorDash Moves to Acquire Deliveroo and SevenRooms in Bold $5 Billion Strategy
DoorDash, the U.S. food delivery behemoth, just unveiled plans to buy Deliveroo for a hefty $3.86 billion, alongside a $1.2 billion bid for restaurant tech startup SevenRooms. It's a double play that shows DoorDash isn't just thinking big—it's betting on reshaping everything from how you get takeout in London, to how restaurants greet their regulars in Milan. The company aims to close the Deliveroo purchase by late 2025, while the SevenRooms acquisition is penciled in for the latter half of the year.
The Deliveroo deal stands out for its scale and immediate impact. With one stroke, DoorDash is not only snatching up a brand that's become synonymous with takeaway across the UK and Europe, but also giving itself a fast track into nine fresh European markets. That pushes DoorDash’s presence to a stunning 40 countries. The company will end up serving a massive user base—an estimated 50 million people log onto DoorDash or its affiliates every month to order something to eat.
Deliveroo has had a rocky time since listing on the stock market in 2021, when everyone was ordering in due to the pandemic. As the world shifted back to crowded restaurants and cafes, Deliveroo’s momentum stalled. Competition from rivals like Uber Eats and Just Eat Takeaway hasn't made things easier. That's why DoorDash’s $3.86 billion offer—at a whopping 44% premium over Deliveroo's April share price—came as a game changer, not just for Deliveroo's investors but for the entire European food delivery scene.
DoorDash CEO Tony Xu pointed to the common ground between the companies, especially their shared mission to support local restaurants and offer flexibility for delivery riders. In Xu's words, it isn’t just about food—it's about helping neighborhood eateries thrive in a world where online orders and gig work have become part of daily life.
SevenRooms Acquisition Signals DoorDash’s Restaurant Tech Ambitions
While buying Deliveroo grabbed headlines for sheer scale, the move to purchase SevenRooms reveals a deeper play: DoorDash isn’t content just ferrying meals between restaurants and hungry customers. With SevenRooms, DoorDash plans to get inside the restaurant itself, offering cloud-based reservation systems, digital waitlists, and guest management tools right where chefs and staff need them most. This is a first for DoorDash, stepping firmly into the SaaS world—an area that’s been growing fast as restaurants lean on tech solutions to keep up with changing customer habits.
SevenRooms brings DoorDash closer to restaurants’ core operations. Think about it—the next time you book a table via an app, check in for a date night, or get a follow-up email from your favorite restaurant, there’s a solid chance DoorDash’s tech could be running things in the background. For restaurants, this means the promise of fuller tables and a digital link to their customers that’s stronger than ever. For DoorDash, it cements their role in everything that happens before, during, and after your meal, not just delivering it to your door.
It’s clear DoorDash isn’t just buying companies; it’s building an ecosystem, covering everything from delivery and dine-in to digital reservations and loyalty programs. The company’s expanded footprint ramps up the pressure on competitors like Uber Eats, but also signals to restaurants worldwide—no matter their size—that tech is going to play an even bigger part in how they reach customers and keep their doors open. All eyes will be on DoorDash as these deals shake up both the delivery and restaurant tech scenes in the coming year.
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