COEUR d’ALENE — As of today, food has a new avenue for finding its way to your door.

UberEATS, a food order and delivery platform launched by the San Francisco-based ride-hailing company Uber Technologies, is connecting with local restaurants to expand food delivery service in the Lake City.

"We're partnering with a bunch of terrific restaurants in and around Coeur d’Alene, so customers can now get the food they love quickly and conveniently, no matter what they like best," David Rutenberg, UberEATS general manager, said in a press release. "UberEATS is for anyone who wants an easy and reliable way to get their favorite food — no matter what they’re doing or where they are."

More than a dozen area restaurants are participating in UberEATS, which allows people to place orders using its free online app seven days a week. The app is available for both iOS and Android. Food prices are set by the restaurants themselves and Uber adds a booking fee of $4.99. Tips are not included.

"It opens it up to a whole clientele that we can’t serve ourselves," said Chelle Caruso, who owns and operates Caruso's Sandwiches and Artisan Pizza with her husband, Vince.

The Carusos have been utilizing UberEATS in their Spokane stores for about four months. Chelle said this partnership takes pressure off their in-house staff.

"In a business sense, we can only serve so many people via delivery and it costs money to run food," she said. "Sometimes when you lose somebody to go do a delivery, they're gone 45 minutes. (With UberEATS) we’re not paying a driver to sit around and we’re not losing faces in our store to take care of who walks in the door."

When orders are placed using UberEATS, participating restaurants receive the orders via a tablet system. This eliminates the need for employees to take orders; they simply enter the tablet order into their store's system and update the tablet to let customers and drivers know it's being made.

The tablet tracks the orders and gives drivers set times to pick them up and send them on their way.

"The tablet is well thought-out," Chelle said. "It's a good system."

UberEATS is generally available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The delivery area encompasses Twin Beaches and Mica to the south and Hayden and Hayden Lake to the north.

"We partner with an expansive delivery network of delivery partners who deliver meals over a large distance or even late at night," said Uber spokesman Nathan Hambley. "Customers can also track their order, customize their dropoff and use the same account they use to take rides."

Notable local restaurants participating in UberEATS are Caruso's, the Local Deli, Sweeto Burrito and the Triple B Blackhills BBQ on Best.

For information about how UberEATS works, visit about.ubereats.com. Those interested in delivering meals via UberEATS can visit the delivery partner page at www.uber.com/deliver.