Picture this, you’ve just made it home (maybe you caught an Uber) and you stumble through the door. The extra staffie the bartender slipped you is quickly pried open with a hiss, before you crumple on the couch. Your daily physical exercise begins with a routine leg raise; feet extended as you lower them onto the coffee table. And finish with a series of crunches, grabbing your phone, TV remote and beverage between reps. With a long day of cooking now done, you have every reason to bail on making dinner. But even the task of 2-minute noodles seems too hard basket. Especially with all the foods imaginable just a few taps away. This is how they get you, but you’re not bothered about that.
How easy is it to fall into that trap? The game-changing food delivery service has given your customers the freedom to now choose where they dine, thus breaking the mould of a once simple dining experience. In an age where convenience trumps currency, hungry consumers are now faced with a choice; Dine out, or dine in? The power of having gourmet food at their fingertips is fascinating, as it presents chefs with a new way to reach people. But at what cost? From the minute the docket prints, to the moment the door knocks, much of the order’s gloss is lost. Chefs across Australia are divided on the app and its place in foodservice, so maybe it’s time to have a closer look into the Uber Eats experience.
THE GOOD
Flexibility – Experience wise, Uber Eats is a flexible offering. Some people struggle in finding time to get out, succumbing to a busy lifestyle. The service allows you to cater for those people restricted to tight or abnormal time schedules. Such as chefs, ironically.
Feeling lazy? – It’s fair to suggest that laziness is a big factor for one’s desire to order in. There’s something comforting in getting gourmet food, mid-way through an episode of your latest binge. Delivery apps offer this convenience for a small fee. That fee could be yours.
Location – These apps can take your food anywhere! A dish is no longer bound by a venue’s walls. It can be summoned to an area of the user’s choosing. This can make for some exceptional social media content. Encouraging customers to take a quick snap can work wonders for exposure. Chargrilled calamari by the beach sound good?
THE BAD
Food quality – When running a kitchen, your gravest concern is getting the food right. Unfortunately, with delivery apps the end result is outside of your control. Busy riders and technical difficulties have potential to depreciate your fine food. Consider the cuisine you offer before signing up to Uber Eats. Will it travel well?
Anti-Social – Gone are the days where people had to actually communicate with each other. Uber Eats takes the social element out of dining, allowing users to hide at home with their favourite foods. Sure, you might be serving and sending more than before, but if the venue looks quiet that can be a problem.
Atmosphere and ambience – So much goes into designing a venue, and we’re fortunate in Australia to have a wide variety of vibes. You’ve built a strong team and unique experience, but with customers opting to order in, what’s the point?
THE UGLY
Riders – Before you judge, NO. We’re not calling any of the riders ugly. That would be wrong. But the practice of an order being picked by a rider, can be unattractive for a venue. Incoming riders can disrupt the flow of your service and potentially spoil the magic for those that chose to dine in.
Containers – Much of the dining experience is built around presentation. Decadent food and extravagant cocktails share a similar level of passion in their construction. Receiving your food in a plastic container is the equivalent of being handed a long island in a paper Maccas cup. Many venues have moved onto presentable and sustainable alternatives. But there’s certainly some unflattering packaging floating about.
If you have any thoughts regarding this ongoing conversation, feel free to have your say here on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear it!