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Nothing unexpected here. Restaurant seems to think they should have major profit share as theirs is main cost and effort to prepare food. Apps guys think there

by geodel 7y ago

Nothing unexpected here. Restaurant seems to think they should have major profit share as theirs is main cost and effort to prepare food. Apps guys think there wouldn't be much demand for restaurant food, weren't it for the apps ecosystem. In my personal experience in India just a couple of decades back restaurants would be frequented by either rich people (obviously) or middle class on a couple of special occasions per year. Nowadays eating outside food even few times per week has become increasingly common. So meal price will be overriding concern with majority of people. As much as those 'consumer surveys' claim that customers are looking for great quality and new experiences in food. Most folks would rather have average food at low price after an exhausting day. I think apps will have upper hand on this issue. As with all the knowledge of customer preferences for price/taste/cuisine etc they can very well create centralized kitchens producing most demanded items. At that point restaurants will again be in similar place as they were few decades back: filled by well-off patrons or by middle class on rare occasions.

gerbilly 7y ago
> Apps guys think there wouldn't be much demand for restaurant food, weren't it for the apps ecosystem. Yeah, like no one ever went to restaurants before the app ecosystem was created. When you physically go to a restaurant now, you have to be put in a queue with all the people ordering from apps. I've been in nearly empty restaurants where the wait was unbearably long. We just kept watching them ship bag after bag of food out the door.
- llampx 7y ago
  You've proven your point here. The restaurant was empty but the demand was created by the people ordering from the comfort of their home. That shows that delivery is a big part of the restaurant's demand and clientele.
  - gerbilly 7y ago
    Seems to me that it just shows that for that restaurant, they chose to over-prioritize app orders over on site customers.
    - wolco 7y ago
      Or equally prioritize but that affects the experience of the instore customer. Why not get rid of instore and go deliver only? I get the sense that people don't trust delivery only places even if they would never go to the restaurant in person.
      - hexo 7y ago
        Because delivery only takes from foods value. Takes too long. Its way more expensive. And you feed companies that really have nothing to do with your food. They drive like since they use company cars. You can't provide "right amount of immediate feedback" to chef so they can (and will) cheat on your food. The list of "why nots" can be really long. Why go delivery - you really cannot go anywhere out from whatever reason, or you are lazy(!, and that isn't really acceptable reason).
- billfruit 7y ago
  Why would anyone prefer to go to a restaurant(unless it be some really special occasion), if the same food could be served at your own home, at the same or even lesser cost;so I think irrespective of what a few restaurants owners may think, the consumers are likely to continue to use the app based delivery services. It might be the case that like other similar aggregation businesses, these app services benefit the consumer more than the other actors like the restaurants or delivery agents, but as consumer that could be a good thing.
  - gerbilly 7y ago
    > Why would anyone prefer to go to a restaurant [...] if the same food could be served at your own home... Because the food for delivery gets sent in plastic or foam buckets, which creates waste and ruins the presentation. Anything crispy also gets steamed into mush on the way.
  - triceratops 7y ago
    Food gets cold and stale when it's delivered. You have to use your own plates and silverware and then clean them. Or deal with the guilt of using disposable everything. I'll either eat in the restaurant, or do takeaway. Delivery is generally a shitty deal.
mayankkaizen 7y ago
My experience after using app is that if you really want to savour the taste, go to the restaurant. At least food is hot and properly served. Ordering food on app is only for the times when I am tired and really don't want to go anywhere. In past 2-3 years, we got this habit of ordering everything on app for various small occasions and everytime we just didn't enjoy the food. Eventually we started again to go to restaurants and it was worth it. One more thing, I noticed that restaurant ratings don't mean a thing. Even food from 4.5 rated restaurants taste horrible. For most people, only 2 facors: laziness and discount are the driving factors to use app. Quality of food is distant third factor.
- geodel 7y ago
  > For most people, only 2 factors: laziness and discount are the driving factors to use app. Quality of food is distant third factor. This sounds about right. I was talking to my brother and he had this similar thought process. Once back from work at 9pm, he does not have any motivation or energy to cook. A Rs 100-150 swiggy delivered thali is just perfect for him. If it were more expensive or if there were no delivery option he would simply make maggi or fry egg/paneer and eat with bread. So he would not be customer of restaurant at all.
- codyb 7y ago
  This rings true for me. It’s gotten to the point where so little looks appetizing scrolling through the myriad options I’ll end up going into the kitchen and cooking anyways.
wolco 7y ago
If they want cheap prices using an app will cost more than ordering direct. If variety is an issue apps help with that.
malandrew 7y ago
> I think apps will have upper hand on this issue. They also have the dark kitchens card to play. Have a food concept that people want to order for delivery but don't want to make it available for delivery via an app? No problem, the delivery apps see the demand for that concept and get one of the dark kitchens to satisfy the demand.
hexo 7y ago
My personal experience: Where I live we eat almost exlusively outside. Cooking at home takes so much time that it becomes extremely expensive very quickly. I really think that food delivery companies provide very bad deal, food tends to be overpriced over eating at restaurant, you get to pay for delivery and it comes very late - it usually takes more than one hour. Way better deal is to take at least one of your friend, board your car (or feet) and go eating. You get your meal very fast (and you dont even have to eat fastfood), you don't give your eating habits to unrelated 3rd party and bonus points - you're on your way back sooner than delivery boy/girl even starts approaching you. So, compared to this, I consider "food delivery apps" obsolete except very narrow set of usecases. Given that, They (and customers too!) should be happy that market still allows these "apps" to exist - it is not a priviledge and not even right.

by geodel 7y ago

gerbilly 7y ago

> Apps guys think there wouldn't be much demand for restaurant food, weren't it for the apps ecosystem. Yeah, like no one ever went to restaurants before the app ecosystem was created. When you physically go to a restaurant now, you have to be put in a queue with all the people ordering from apps. I've been in nearly empty restaurants where the wait was unbearably long. We just kept watching them ship bag after bag of food out the door.

llampx 7y ago
You've proven your point here. The restaurant was empty but the demand was created by the people ordering from the comfort of their home. That shows that delivery is a big part of the restaurant's demand and clientele.
- gerbilly 7y ago
  Seems to me that it just shows that for that restaurant, they chose to over-prioritize app orders over on site customers.
  - wolco 7y ago
    Or equally prioritize but that affects the experience of the instore customer. Why not get rid of instore and go deliver only? I get the sense that people don't trust delivery only places even if they would never go to the restaurant in person.
    - hexo 7y ago
      Because delivery only takes from foods value. Takes too long. Its way more expensive. And you feed companies that really have nothing to do with your food. They drive like since they use company cars. You can't provide "right amount of immediate feedback" to chef so they can (and will) cheat on your food. The list of "why nots" can be really long. Why go delivery - you really cannot go anywhere out from whatever reason, or you are lazy(!, and that isn't really acceptable reason).
billfruit 7y ago
Why would anyone prefer to go to a restaurant(unless it be some really special occasion), if the same food could be served at your own home, at the same or even lesser cost;so I think irrespective of what a few restaurants owners may think, the consumers are likely to continue to use the app based delivery services. It might be the case that like other similar aggregation businesses, these app services benefit the consumer more than the other actors like the restaurants or delivery agents, but as consumer that could be a good thing.
- gerbilly 7y ago
  > Why would anyone prefer to go to a restaurant [...] if the same food could be served at your own home... Because the food for delivery gets sent in plastic or foam buckets, which creates waste and ruins the presentation. Anything crispy also gets steamed into mush on the way.
- triceratops 7y ago
  Food gets cold and stale when it's delivered. You have to use your own plates and silverware and then clean them. Or deal with the guilt of using disposable everything. I'll either eat in the restaurant, or do takeaway. Delivery is generally a shitty deal.

mayankkaizen 7y ago

My experience after using app is that if you really want to savour the taste, go to the restaurant. At least food is hot and properly served. Ordering food on app is only for the times when I am tired and really don't want to go anywhere. In past 2-3 years, we got this habit of ordering everything on app for various small occasions and everytime we just didn't enjoy the food. Eventually we started again to go to restaurants and it was worth it. One more thing, I noticed that restaurant ratings don't mean a thing. Even food from 4.5 rated restaurants taste horrible. For most people, only 2 facors: laziness and discount are the driving factors to use app. Quality of food is distant third factor.

geodel 7y ago
> For most people, only 2 factors: laziness and discount are the driving factors to use app. Quality of food is distant third factor. This sounds about right. I was talking to my brother and he had this similar thought process. Once back from work at 9pm, he does not have any motivation or energy to cook. A Rs 100-150 swiggy delivered thali is just perfect for him. If it were more expensive or if there were no delivery option he would simply make maggi or fry egg/paneer and eat with bread. So he would not be customer of restaurant at all.
codyb 7y ago
This rings true for me. It’s gotten to the point where so little looks appetizing scrolling through the myriad options I’ll end up going into the kitchen and cooking anyways.

wolco 7y ago

If they want cheap prices using an app will cost more than ordering direct. If variety is an issue apps help with that.

malandrew 7y ago

> I think apps will have upper hand on this issue. They also have the dark kitchens card to play. Have a food concept that people want to order for delivery but don't want to make it available for delivery via an app? No problem, the delivery apps see the demand for that concept and get one of the dark kitchens to satisfy the demand.

hexo 7y ago

My personal experience: Where I live we eat almost exlusively outside. Cooking at home takes so much time that it becomes extremely expensive very quickly. I really think that food delivery companies provide very bad deal, food tends to be overpriced over eating at restaurant, you get to pay for delivery and it comes very late - it usually takes more than one hour. Way better deal is to take at least one of your friend, board your car (or feet) and go eating. You get your meal very fast (and you dont even have to eat fastfood), you don't give your eating habits to unrelated 3rd party and bonus points - you're on your way back sooner than delivery boy/girl even starts approaching you. So, compared to this, I consider "food delivery apps" obsolete except very narrow set of usecases. Given that, They (and customers too!) should be happy that market still allows these "apps" to exist - it is not a priviledge and not even right.