Are food delivery apps killing restaurants?

Recently, restaurants have relied on food delivery apps, especially off the back of the pandemic. However, is it now time to ditch these apps, which are essentially killing small independent restaurants?

These apps make it almost impossible for a small restaurant to turn a profit. With some commission fees over a whopping 35%. Profit is profit to these companies; they do not have the restauranteur’s heart in mind. If you have a massive chain like McDonald’s, which pay a way lower commission fee (around 15%) and sells a thousand “meals” daily, it is a win for both parties. However, smaller restaurants selling less than 50 orders are getting ripped off, paying higher fees, and sometimes not even making a profit! When you consider the overheads of what restaurants must pay for, such as high-quality fresh ingredients, staff, and marketing, they have to pay up to 35% of their revenue to a delivery app. It is madness! 

The restaurant experience

Dining out is the best; you can share a nice meal how it was intended to be. Not all sweaty and mashed up in a box like a dog’s dinner, but fresh and in a lovely setting with your friends, family or a date. We are lucky to have so many excellent restaurants in this city we call home, and we should be supporting them and visiting them more often. Please take advantage of restaurants’ creative specials boards or one-off plates the chef has created, things you cannot get online or even support the floor staff who work tirelessly to ensure our glasses are always full! 

So, what can we do? 

I am not saying stop ordering food because that would make me a hypocrite. Sometimes you cannot beat ordering a pizza and watching a movie at home every now and again. Nevertheless, we should remember the take-out business’s effect on our fantastic local restaurants. So go out to a new resto once a week instead of delivery. Alternatively, try ordering directly from the restaurant instead of using the food delivery apps. Many restaurants have Facebook and Instagram, where you can order directly through messenger or give them a call. You will not believe how much it will help them out. 

If you need help with good food spots, check out our deals page, where many independent restaurants are featured. They would love to see you!

#SupportLocal #SaigonScene