Dinner and a movie ... coming soon to your door

In a recent survey, Blockbuster found that 93 percent of its customers said they would use a service that delivered the latest new movie release along with dinner from a favorite restaurant.

The Dallas-based video rental chain has joined forces with Food.com, an Internet restaurant service, to make it happen.

Blockbuster and San Francisco-based Food.com said Wednesday that they will begin the service this summer in a couple of yet-to-be identified pilot cities and expect to offer it nationwide by year-end.

Current plans call for charging the regular Blockbuster price for movies ordered with food. If only a movie is ordered, there would be a nominal fee.

Blockbuster has made an undisclosed investment in Food.com, which delivers restaurant meals that are ordered online in cities nationwide, including Dallas.

Food.com recently announced that it raised $80 million from investors including fast food giant McDonald's and San Antonio-based Clear Channel Communications Inc.

The Blockbuster-Food.com venture will be competing with other delivery services, some in single markets and others with major expansion plans.

New York-based Kozmo.com Inc., a 2-year-old company that delivers videos, snacks and other items purchased over the Internet within an hour, expanded into Seattle, Boston, Washington and San Francisco.

The company has said it will be in 30 additional cities by the end of this year, but a spokeswoman reached Wednesday wouldn't say which cities are next.

Jim Notarnicola, Blockbuster's chief marketing officer, said he believes that the Blockbuster-Food.com venture has more of an infrastructure already in place with its 5,100 video stores and Food.com's relationship with 16,000 restaurants.

Food.com also said Wednesday that it has acquired Herndon, Va.-based Takeout Taxi Holdings Inc., the nation's largest restaurant delivery service.

"Food.com already has an online customer base in all the major markets," Mr. Notarnicola said. "And we know our customers want movies with warm food."

The companies promise to deliver the food and movie in 20 minutes to an hour, depending on where the customer lives.