Uber pauses much of its planned European Uber Eats expansion as it weighs a Delivery Hero deal, report says

Uber has put most of its planned expansion of Uber Eats in Europe on hold, a move reported as it continues to pursue a potential acquisition of Delivery Hero, the German food-delivery company. The decision, described by people familiar with the matter, comes shortly after Uber announced steps to widen its European footprint earlier this year.

Reporting indicates Uber has dropped or delayed launches in five of the seven European markets it had been preparing to enter during the year. The plan Uber had previously discussed included new food-delivery launches in the Czech Republic and Romania, and was aimed at generating an additional 1 billion dollars in gross bookings over three years, according to the account described in the post.

In the same reporting, Uber’s expansion pause is framed less as a retreat from Europe and more as a shift in priorities. Uber told the Financial Times, as recounted in the article, that the company decided to halt further rollout plans after the “huge success” of Uber Eats launches in Finland and Denmark, and said it wanted to focus on sustaining momentum in existing markets.

The competitive backdrop to the decision is the effort to secure Delivery Hero, which operates food-delivery brands across multiple countries. The report says Uber has been working toward a deal even after its earlier offer of 10 billion euros was rejected. As of May 19, 2026, Uber held a 19.5% stake in Delivery Hero, with an additional 5.6% held in options, the post says, citing earlier reporting.

The same post says Uber later increased its interest in Delivery Hero to nearly 37%, after buying a stake from another shareholder, Aspex Management. It also notes that Delivery Hero’s largest shareholder, Prosus, is considering increasing its stake as well, which could complicate or block an agreement between the two companies, depending on how negotiations proceed.

While takeover talks can influence a company’s near-term operational planning, a deal of this scale would also likely require regulatory clearance, the post adds. It says any transaction would be expected to draw detailed examination from European Union competition regulators, reflecting concerns that consolidation could affect pricing, merchant terms, or service competition for local restaurant delivery markets.

Uber did not, in the material described in the post, provide a detailed public explanation of which exact markets were paused or what timelines might replace the planned launches. It also did not disclose whether the expansion freeze is temporary pending deal outcomes, or whether Uber has re-scoped its European food-delivery priorities on a longer-term basis.

For investors and customers, the immediate watch items are whether Uber provides further clarity on rollout timing for the paused markets, and whether the Delivery Hero negotiations advance toward a formal offer. Any update to stake levels, board discussions, or regulator-facing documentation would be the next concrete indicates of how likely a transaction is and how much it could reshape the European delivery landscape.