Uber slows EU Eats push amid Delivery Hero bid

Uber has significantly reduced its plans to expand its food-delivery operations across Europe in 2026. The company had prepared to launch Uber Eats in seven new European markets this year but is now stopping launches in five of those markets. This means only a minority of the originally targeted new European countries are expected to see Uber Eats entry in 2026.

The change represents a clear shift from previously communicated growth ambitions for Uber’s European food-delivery footprint. Instead of broad geographic expansion, the updated plan concentrates activity into just two of the seven markets that had been on the roadmap for this year.

The decision to pause the majority of the planned European launches comes as Uber is pursuing a takeover of Delivery Hero (DHERd). The reported timing links the scaling-back of new-market entries with the company’s focus on this potential transaction.

By slowing the rollout into five planned markets while the takeover effort is under way, Uber is adjusting near-term expansion steps in the same period it is working on a cross-border deal. The pursuit of Delivery Hero (DHERd) provides the broader strategic context for why a previously aggressive expansion plan is being reconsidered.

Uber’s updated approach indicates that its 2026 European strategy for food delivery is shifting from rapid greenfield expansion towards priorities shaped by the prospective Delivery Hero acquisition. Rather than entering all seven planned new markets, the company is deferring most of those launches while it focuses on the takeover process.

This development underscores that Uber’s footprint in European food delivery by the end of 2026 will be smaller than originally planned if the paused launches remain on hold. It also highlights how major deal activity can influence the pace and pattern of operational expansion in key regions.