Many consumers have increased how much they spend on food delivery ever since COVID-19 led to government-issued shelter-in-place mandates worldwide. With moratoriums on eating out and households trying to grocery shop less often, more and more people have begun getting groceries and meals delivered to their door (using contact-free delivery, of course).
When you think about third party platforms, you probably jump immediately to the titans of the industry: Postmates, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub. However, if those don’t operate in your area, have policies that you don’t agree with, cost too much in delivery fees or you just want to support some other businesses, there are a variety of lesser-known apps that you can use instead to continue getting your favorite foods right to your door.
1. deliveroo
This London-based delivery app may have started small, but they now operate in more than two hundred cities across the U.K. as well as in France, Spain, Australia, Singapore and a myriad of other countries as well. Like similar platforms, they’ve introduced contactless delivery as part of a widespread effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. They’re also pushing innovation by developing of a series of ghost kitchens, also known as cloud kitchens. Learn more about how cloud kitchens are shaping the future of the food service industry.
2. Delivery Hero
Berlin-based and now operating in over forty countries around the globe, Delivery Hero hosts over 500,000 restaurants on their platform. In a bid to protect its workers and customers from the virus, they’ve implemented contactless delivery as well as cashless payments to further curb face-to-face meetings between workers and customers in affected areas. Delivery Hero has also worked to implement additional health and hygiene measures for restaurants and workers in the 300+ cities where they operate.
3. Takeaway.com
This Dutch platform began as a go-between for consumers and eateries after the founder realized how few restaurants had their menus displayed online. Of course, much has changed since its launch in 2000, but Takeaway.com remains a popular go-to for their loyal customers across ten different European countries as well as Israel. To protect their merchants in the wake of this virus, the delivery platform announced in March that affected restaurants could delay paymentswith the expectation that as many as 20% of their merchants might request such a postponement. Their innovative spirit continues as they strive to create more solutions that will assist restaurants struggling because of this virus.
4. Zomato
This platform began in India but has since expanded around the world, including to the U.S., Australia, South Africa and many other countries. They’ve always stood out in part because they offer more than just food delivery: Along with restaurants’ menus, Zomato provides information and user reviews to give customers a full, well-rounded perspective before they order from anywhere. To do their part in assisting the communities where their merchants and customers work and live, Zomato now offers grocery delivery to assist those who are sheltered inside and afraid to shop at the market too regularly in person.
5. Just Eat
Founded in Denmark, Just Eat now operates in over ten different countries including the U.K., Ireland, Australia and Canada. To do their part during this crisis, they’re offering partial rebates for their U.K. merchants, waiving everyone’s commission fees and temporarily eliminating sign-up fees for new restaurants. With this, Just Eat aims to help their partner restaurants’ bottom lines, at cost to their own profits.
Food delivery has gotten extremely popular since the onset of widespread global quarantine and shelter-in-place mandates. Many consumers might think that they’re limited to using the major delivery apps that they’ve heard a little about and possibly even used before. However, many smaller delivery apps exist and are also doing their part to help local restaurants and communities during this crisis, both of whom could probably use a share of some of food delivery’s current success.
Consider checking out these five platforms and others to discover some new, local restaurants in your area. Who knows? You might just find your new favorite dish.
