For many of us, Friday nights mean ditching the cooker in favour of a takeaway. After a long week at work, there’s nothing quite like putting your feet up and ordering a delivery from your favourite restaurant and, our weekend treat may just be about to replace our Saturday night out too.
In light of social distancing measures due to the current Coronavirus epidemic, a lot of people are already swapping a night in a pub or restaurant for a home delivery – so, what are the options? In days gone by, food delivery was limited and meant telephoning for a pizza but, in 2020, the options are almost unlimited. Here, we’ll take a look at some of them:
Upmenu
Upmenu is an innovation online restaurant ordering system which features a staggering 2500 restaurants around the world. Sign up is simple and can be completed in less than five minutes, giving customers access to tons of food brands including Subway, El Burro Burger, 77 Sushi and much more. As well as the facility to order takeaways, Upmenu features a table booking system and loyalty scheme, making it the essential food delivery system.
How does it work?
It really couldn’t be easier – simply sign up for a free trial or download the app to get up and running with Upmenu. Once signed up, you can browse or search for your favourite local eatery.
How much does it cost?
For customers, Upmenu is free to use and the price of food orders and delivery varies. As with other food delivery companies, delivery cost is subject to either a minimal charge or a minimum order. The loyalty scheme helps customers to save money when they order regularly.
Independent restaurant delivery
A large number of restaurants choose to handle food delivery themselves in order to maintain control of factors such as delivery time and quality of food (for example, making sure that food is delivered at the right temperature). In this instance, the restaurant will invest in their own delivery vehicle(s) and staff in order to perform this service.
How does it work?
Some restaurants invest in an online booking system or app but, in a lot of cases, old school telephone ordering applies.
What’s the cost?
Independent restaurant delivery tends to be the most expensive option as the business owner needs to recoup the costs of the staff and vehicle maintenance. Costs can vary but are often around 20% of the food bill.
Uber Eats
Despite the fact that the name ‘Uber’ has received bad press in recent years, Uber Eats made around $10 billion dollars last year, worldwide.
Uber Eats is a website and mobile app which allows you to identify restaurants which deliver in your local area and then book online or through the mobile app.
How does it work?
All you need to do is open an account online or download the app to have immediate access to the outlets in your area. You can browse through the options or search for a particular restaurant for convenience. Payment can be made by credit card, debit card, Paypal and Apple Pay.
How much does it cost?
Delivery prices vary from restaurant to restaurant and these are marked clearly on the site. For example, a breakfast delivery from McDonalds costs £3.50 whereas a similar delivery from Subway costs £2.49.
Just Eat
Available in 13 countries, Just Eat boasts a worth of £5.5 billion and is incredibly popular due to the fact that customers can have food delivered from multiple restaurants all within one order. Just Eat can be accessed either online or through a mobile app.
How does it work?
As with other similar services, you’ll need to sign up to Just Eat online or through the app to get access to restaurants in your area. You can then browse, search and track your order.
How much does it cost?
Just Eat charges restaurants 14% per order plus a 50p admin fee – for customers, this means that delivery fees are often charged at £1 to £3 per order and minimum orders for free delivery start from around £10.
Deliveroo
Operating in 12 countries with a worth of around $1.5 billion, Deliveroo offers home delivery as well as business catering. Deliveroo also helps smaller restaurants to expand their businesses in order to offer further delivery opportunities. Available online and as a mobile app, Deliveroo prides itself on its commitment to forward thinking technology.
How does it work?
Simply register online or download the app to browse or search participating restaurants in your area and place an order.
How much does it cost?
Delivery charges start from 99p depending on a minimum order. Deliveroo offers an unlimited free delivery subscription service, however, it has recently got into hot water with customers boycotting the service after discovering that they have been charged for delivery on top of the subscription fee.
Conclusion
Although these are the main worldwide food delivery options, many countries and cities also offer localised delivery such as DoorDash and GrubHub in the States and Food Hub in the UK. You’ll find that some of your local restaurants are serviced by more than one delivery provider so it’s worth checking out the delivery fees for each before ordering.
