Delivery apps opened up a huge new audience for restaurants, but they come with commission rates that can wipe out the margin on a dish, and the platform rather than the restaurant usually owns the customer relationship and data. Smart operators treat delivery as a separate business: a shorter menu built for travel, prices set to absorb commission, packaging that keeps chips crisp and sauces in their pots, and a clear view of whether the extra volume is profitable at all. Virtual brands let one kitchen sell under several names, and dark kitchens grew up to serve the platforms, though they have faced planning disputes and complaints from neighbours about noise, smells and riders gathering outside.
Many venues now push their own ordering channels to keep more of each sale. Riders are generally engaged as self-employed, and the question of their status and rights remains a live legal and political argument that the industry cannot ignore.
What we ask on the show
- Is delivery actually profitable for you once commission is paid?
- How do you design a dish to survive twenty minutes on a bike?
- Are virtual brands clever or a bit of a con on the customer?
- What do you owe the riders who carry your food?