Uber Eats plans return to Czechia's competitive food delivery market

Uber Eats is set to return to the Czech market, six years after exiting due to limited growth, according to a report by the Financial Times. The relaunch will see the U.S.-based delivery service compete once again with local players including Foodora, Bolt Food, and Finnish service Wolt.

The company’s global head of delivery, Susan Anderson, told the Financial Times that Uber aims to “raise the bar” in European food delivery, entering markets where existing services have become established. Czechia is among seven European countries included in Uber’s 2026 expansion, alongside Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Greece, and Romania.

Uber Eats first launched in Prague in 2018, focusing initially on McDonald’s outlets before expanding to other restaurants. By 2020, the service left Czechia, along with several other markets, after it failed to achieve its goal of becoming a top one or two delivery service.

At the time, the company said it would continue offering taxi services locally and thanked the Czech community for support. Now, the company expects its renewed European expansion to generate an additional $1 billion (roughly CZK 20.4 billion) in gross bookings over the next three years.

Anderson said the strategy will leverage Uber’s existing ride-hailing customer base and membership program Uber One, which have helped grow market share in larger European markets such as the UK, Germany, France, and Spain.

The Czech delivery market has become more crowded since Uber Eats’ departure. Foodora (formerly Dáme Jídlo) has long held a dominant position, while Wolt and Bolt Food have grown rapidly in recent years.

Uber’s return adds another international competitor at a time when European delivery markets are consolidating. In Finland, for example, Wolt was acquired by DoorDash in 2022, illustrating the scale of competition Uber now faces.

Anderson told the Financial Times that entering established markets allows Uber to “shake things up” and offer better value to customers. The company is also experimenting with automation in other regions, using drones, robots, and autonomous vehicles to reduce costs and speed delivery. Whether similar technology will be rolled out in Czechia has not been specified.

For Czech consumers, Uber Eats’ return means more options for meal delivery in Prague and other cities, potentially prompting adjustments in pricing and service across the sector. Restaurants previously partnered with Uber may now see a renewed channel for reaching customers, while existing players may face pressure to enhance their offerings.

Uber Eats’ re-entry marks the latest example of global tech firms re-entering Central European markets as competition intensifies. The expansion could signal a shift in local delivery dynamics, giving Czech consumers more choice and potentially reshaping the market landscape in the coming years.