FLATIRON — A new app aims to help New Yorkers solve the problem of restaurants and shops that don't deliver.
Postmates, a startup delivery service based in San Francisco, has launched its first New York City location in the Flatiron District — allowing users to order any item in Manhattan and promising to deliver it within an hour of the purchase.
“We’re taking the city by bike, car, scooter and truck, making every restaurant and store in the city available for on-demand delivery,” Postmates wrote recently on its blog, noting it would deliver anything from brunch and books to beer and game tickets. "Whatever the mood strikes, we don't judge."
So far, Postmates only delivers in Flatiron, Union Square and parts of Chelsea and Midtown — an area bounded by 42nd and 14th streets between Eighth and Lexington avenues — but the company plans to expand throughout the city in the next couple of months.
Customers can use the service by downloading the Postmates mobile app, which is currently only available on iPhones.
The app allows users to purchase products from different locations, and then it pairs customers with a person who will deliver the goods.
Once the order is received, the app introduces clients to the person who will be doing the delivery, including a name and photo.
Customers can track the progress of the delivery using real-time maps that show a car moving on a Google map and display the estimated arrival time.
“I am excited to introduce Postmates to a city that defines convenience and accessibility,” Bastian Lehmann, CEO and co-founder of Postmates, said in a statement. “New York is the ideal market for an on-demand service. Now all of Manhattan is accessible at the touch of a button.”
Delivery is available from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. The cost starts at $5 for a delivery.
