"Consumer today wants to know where the food is coming from"

How the consumers' online order trends are revolving around during and after the lockdown was implemented.

Before the lockdown, we were operational for longer hours so the number of orders was almost up to 250 a day. Once the lockdown was announced we observed that there was a significant drop in non-veg food orders and people’s preference for vegetarian food increased. It lasted for almost 2-3 months until July. Thankfully, our Chinese brand Sichuan Pepper House and Lyfe kitchen (Continental) were doing better at the time. We saw our order patterns going back to the Pre-COVID time once the state declared unlocking.

What changes have you witnessed in consumer consumption pattern when it comes to online ordering?

Currently, we have seen a spike in lunch orders and we are delivering close to 200 orders with fewer operational hours. The stigma attached to outside food is diminishing. People are more comfortable with eating from a restaurant as compared to earlier.

What are some trends that are on rise?

I wouldn’t call it a trend per se but now consumers really want to know where the food is coming from and the level of sanitisation and hygiene maintained in the kitchen.  This is a fair ask considering how the pandemic has shaped up. We have even noticed that when we put out pictures of our staff and team on our social media pages people were more responsive and there was a rise in number of orders.

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Who all are regular customers or age groups who are constantly placing online orders?

Our consumers are between the age of 21-40 years.

What is the most preferred time and cuisine of the online order placed?

North Indian tandoor dinner from Jaspal Di Bhatti is very popular and interestingly we have sold 2000 portions of butter chicken post COVID.

How have you changed yourself to handle the rise in demand?

We are trying to make operations smoother by removing dishes from the menu that relatively aren’t fast moving. We have hired managers to ensure that the orders are dispatched on time.

Why cloud-kitchen model is a success during this time?

It’s a success because operationally it’s more viable and overheads are much lesser. The government has categorized cloud kitchens under an essential service which has made it even more successful.

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How can a delivery kitchen reduce operational cost without compromising on the quality?

There are 3 mantras we follow at 4aces i.e ensuring minimum wastage, efficient stock-keeping and management, and lastly use the strategy of competitive pricing.