SAN FRANCISCO – Instacart has announced the launch of Will Call Delivery, a new solution designed to tackle urgent supply chain challenges faced by foodservice distributors and business operators. The service aims to streamline same-day delivery of critical “fill-in” orders—often known as "hot shot" deliveries—for restaurants, healthcare facilities, schools, and more.
The offering builds on Instacart’s decade-long expertise in rapid grocery delivery, leveraging its nationwide network of trained shoppers to fulfill time-sensitive needs from distributor warehouses. The tool is specifically designed as a white-label application for distributors, allowing sales reps to place delivery requests on behalf of customers through a familiar, simplified process—via text, call, or a few clicks in the app.
The service also includes the option to source items directly from the Instacart Marketplace when distributor warehouses are low or out of stock, expanding operators' flexibility.
Instacart emphasized its commitment to food safety in business deliveries. Shoppers receive training across key food handling topics, including temperature control, hygiene, and safe transportation practices, ensuring goods arrive safely and on time.
The new delivery solution was piloted with Gordon Food Service, one of the nation's largest foodservice distributors, piloted the new delivery solution. Early results show improved efficiency and reduced operational strain for distributors, along with faster turnarounds for business customers.
“Our pilot with Instacart is allowing us to test ways to advance our customer-first approach and best-in-class service. We understand that our customers are changing, and this pilot is allowing us to find ways to address their urgent and varied needs, and augment our traditional models of serving our customers. To date, we’ve gained valuable insights from this model and it’s making us think differently,” says Joe Mott, Regional General Manager of Gordon Food Service.
Chef Tucker of Blackfinn Ameripub echoed the sentiment: “It has been extremely helpful to me and my staff when needing product in a timing manner. We love the ease of having items delivered with the rush of day to day kitchen operations.”
With strong momentum from the pilot program, Instacart plans to expand Will Call Delivery to additional distributor partners in 2025.
