Uber Eats is looking to declutter the app—and they’re starting by cutting thousands of virtual brands. 

Uber Eats is looking to declutter the app—and they’re starting by cutting thousands of virtual brands. Over the pandemic YPulse told you how virtual restaurants (without physical storefronts) considered Uber Eats (and the like) a lifeline for “eateries who used their empty kitchens and idle staff to test new ideas and make up for lost sales.” According to the platform, it’s concerned that it’s getting too “clogged by restaurants listing multiple delivery options with different names but the same menu.” Uber Eats found that virtual brands “quadrupled to more than 40,000 this year from over 10,000 in 2021” and now they make up 8% of Uber Eats’ storefronts listed in the U.S. and Canada, but less than 2% of bookings. To combat the issue, the brand is planning “to remove 5,000 online storefronts, covering about 13% of virtual brands in North America.” (WSJ)