DoorDash Requests Dismissal of Uber’s Lawsuit

A California Superior Court judge has been asked by DoorDash to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Uber, which accuses the food delivery company of stifling competition by intimidating restaurant owners into exclusive deals.

According to its motion, DoorDash argues that Uber’s claim lacks merit on all fronts. In a statement on its website on Friday, DoorDash maintained that the lawsuit is merely a cynical and calculated scare tactic from a frustrated competitor seeking to avoid real competition, describing it as disappointing behavior from a company once known for competing on the merits of its products and innovation.

DoorDash also stated in its post that it will vigorously defend itself and positioned the company as one that competes fiercely yet fairly to deliver exceptional value to merchants.

A hearing for the case has been scheduled for July 11 in California Superior Court in San Francisco County.

Uber initially filed its lawsuit against DoorDash in February, alleging that DoorDash, which holds the largest share of the food delivery market in the U.S., threatens restaurants with multimillion-dollar penalties or the removal or demotion of the businesses’ position on the DoorDash app.

In response to DoorDash’s request, Uber provided a statement to TechCrunch.

The statement from Uber read, “It seems like the team at DoorDash is having a hard time understanding the content of our Complaint. When restaurants are forced to choose between unfair terms or retaliation, that’s not competition — it’s coercion. Uber will continue to stand up for merchants and for a level playing field. We look forward to presenting the facts in court.”

Uber has requested a jury trial in its original complaint but has not specified the amount of damages it is seeking.

In a separate development, Deliveroo confirmed on Friday that DoorDash had offered to buy the European food delivery company for $3.6 billion.