A NEWPORT bar has slammed food delivery service Uber Eats, claiming the company is hurting the eaterie's reputation with "shocking" service.

Atlantica Snack Bar in Market Road has refused to carry on using Uber Eats delivery drivers, claiming the company was costing them money and harming their reputation.

Uber Eats is a delivery app through which customers can order food from a selection of restaurants, takeaways and cafes - one of a number of such apps which have boomed in popularity over lockdown. Orders are picked up and delivered by drivers working for the app rather than the restaurants themselves.

But staff at Atlantica have claimed they have faced a series of problems with the app - including drivers not turning up to collect orders - describing service as "shocking" on Twitter. Many customers, unaware of how the service works, then complain to the restaurant rather than Uber Eats.

Adam Smith, 38, runs the social media accounts for the bar.

He said: “After 11pm is when issues start with drivers not turning up and food then being wasted due to over an hour left waiting.

 

 

“Then, trying to get help or support from Uber is impossible, even with trying to get compensation for wasted stock”.

The venue's owner, Robert White, 35, has since said that they will not be using Uber in the immediate future and will instead focus on using their own delivery drivers.

 

 

Mr White said: “Drivers don't turn up or drivers turn up, take the food, and then cancel the order.

“And the main thing for us is that, obviously, it looks like it's our fault as a restaurant.

“A bad review online can really affect us for a good few weeks before it's all picked back up again”.

Mr White claims that the bar lost around £100 on just three orders that were scrapped due to Uber drivers not turning up.

 

 

Normally, he would be able to get half of that back in compensation, but this time he was unable to because he had to cancel the order as the bar was about to close.

The main concern for Mr White is the damage to Atlantica’s reputation as opposed to any financial cost.

He said: “I think people look at Uber and think maybe we’re using our own drivers.

“That frustrates me even more that they think that the restaurant is to blame for bad service”.

Not being able to pick the drivers is something that concerns Mr White.

He said: “If the driver is rude or anything we can't say then in the future that driver can’t take the delivery.

“It would be nice to have that little bit of security and be able to use drivers that we can trust.

“Some of the Uber drivers are amazing, don’t get me wrong. Some drivers are really fun and very happy in what they do, and they're great.”

It has been difficult for the bar owners to report their issues with Uber, which only worstens the situation.

Mr White said: “We can’t complain to anybody.

“The main issue is, there is no point of contact, you know everybody I'm talking to just go around in circles”.

Uber Eats did not respond to requests for comment.