From disruptors to frontliners: how Menulog, Uber Eats and Deliveroo are engaging restaurants amidst COVID-19 crisis
The nation’s three largest delivery platforms detail strategies in supporting operators and riders.
Considered to be one of the key disruptors in the QSR industry, the third-party delivery sector is now at the frontlines in servicing restaurants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Uber Eats launched a series of initiatives to support independent restaurant owners and operators facing “unprecedented challenges.”
The measures include a $5 million stimulus package for independent restaurants across Australia and New Zealand, aimed to enable them to deploy and time promotions.
“The restaurant industry is being hit hard...and the sector needs to help the thousands of people that rely on it - for work and as an essential service - during this difficult time,” Uber Eats regional general manager for APAC Jodie Auster said.
The platform is also introducing a new opt-in programme for all restaurants offering daily payments, rather than their standard weekly payment.
All restaurants will also pay no service fees on pick-up orders until 30 June and will be waiving activation fees for new restaurants that want to join the platform.
“In testing economic circumstances, maintaining cash flow and paying staff and suppliers remains a priority for small businesses,” she added.
Uber Eats is also working with the Restaurant & Catering Association to include caterers in the platform.
“There are thousands of small businesses in the restaurant, café and catering industry that have felt the full force of the coronavirus outbreak, with some reporting bookings and foot traffic down between 80 to 100 percent,” Restaurant and Catering Association CEO Wes Lambert explained.
Uber Eats also pledged to provide 25,000 free meals to support health workers and other frontline services during this pandemic. The platform said that restaurants and delivery partners have already begun receiving in-app messages reminding them of basic steps they can take to help prevent the spread of the virus that draws on advice from public health authorities.
A user campaign to drive awareness of “contactless” delivery has also started, reminding users that they can request deliveries be left on their doorsteps.
Earlier, Uber Eats pledged financial assistance to driver partners and delivery people who are either diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been asked to self-isolate by a public health authority across markets.
Deliveroo tells QSR Media that they are in regular contact with its restaurant partners as more social restrictions are put in place.
“We are aware that some QSR venues have proactively closed their in-dining spaces and recommended patrons order take away, drive through or use delivery platforms. As always, we are working with our restaurant partners to ensure they can take full advantage of our delivery platform as an effective way to reach their customers,” a spokesperson for the platform said.
At this stage, orders remain at a “steady” pace, but Deliveroo said it is confident that the platform will continue to work at an “optimal” rate should they see a surge. The platform earlier launched contactless delivery and a “hardship” fund for those who will be affected by COVID-19.
Currently, Deliveroo said American, Italian, Chinese, Thai and Japanese are the top five most popular items ordered by customers in their platform, with KFC, McDonald’s, Guzman y Gomez, Nando's, Oporto, and Subway being the most popular brands.
“During these challenging times our focus is on ensuring restaurants can continue to trade and that the Australian public can still order from local restaurants - supporting the local economy and assisting those people who are in self-isolation,” the spokesperson added.
Menulog, meanwhile, provided additional guidance to its restaurant partners and couriers apart from their existing Health and Safety guidelines available to their network.
To help in stimulating in-store business and delivery, Menulog said it will halve all commission on pick up orders across all 17,000 partner restaurants. Like its fellow delivery platforms, they have also introduced contactless deliveries to help customers and couriers maintain social distancing guidelines from the World Health Organization.
The platform also committed $3 million in marketing efforts to promote its restaurant partners, which will be invested over the next few months, and to develop social and digital programs to help drive orders.
Menulog will also be waiving all “relevant” costs for restaurants or businesses looking to utilise the platform and its 2.6 million customer base.
“We are following the situation closely and have detailed scenario plans in place,” a spokesperson for the platform said.
US-headquartered DoorDash, which launched in Australia last year, said it has removed delivery fees on orders from its restaurant partners and is waiving commission fees on all pickup orders placed through its platform.
They are also offering new restaurants the opportunity to sign up with DoorDash for free and pay zero commissions for 30 days.
The company is also moving all its deliveries to a “Leave it at my door” mode by default. In a new app update, customers will see a new drop-off menu at checkout with the no-contact option selected but will still have the choice to select “hand it to me” if they prefer.
Riders who are quarantined or diagnosed with COVID-19 will also be providing financial assistance by DoorDash. They are also in the process of shipping more than 1 million sets of free hand sanitiser to its riders in all markets where it operates.
"In the face of uncertainty, restaurants are having to adjust how they operate which is why we have introduced initiatives to promote the health and safety of our users while supporting these businesses. DoorDash is proud to help local Australian business serve our shared communities through this most challenging time," DoorDash Australia general manager Thomas Stephens.
