Burger King to be soon available at your doorstep via Uber Eats

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has concluded an investigation indicating that food delivery giants Zomato and Swiggy may have engaged in practices that disadvantage competition in India’s retail and hospitality markets. Allegations include preferential treatment for specific restaurant partners, which the CCI had deemed worthy of scrutiny after a complaint from the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) in April 2022. The initial findings were compiled in a report submitted earlier this year.

The CCI's Director General (DG) submitted the investigation report to the concerned parties, and subsequent hearings are expected. Based on these discussions, CCI will issue a final decision on the matter. The NRAI has reviewed a redacted version of the investigation report, shared with the association in March 2024. According to an NRAI statement, “In order to properly protect the interests of the market, we have petitioned the High Court very recently in November 2024 to request CCI to grant us access to the report in its entirety.” 

NRAI President Sagar Daryani expressed hope that the CCI would accelerate its review of additional issues raised in the 2022 petition. Swiggy also disclosed the CCI case in its Red Herring Prospectus for its recent Initial Public Offering, which concluded last Friday. The initial April 2022 order for the probe cited a “conflict of interest situation,” stating that an investigation was necessary to determine how certain private brands and entities may benefit from preferential treatment over others.

According to the CCI’s 2022 assessment, the preferential treatment potentially given to Restaurant Partners (RPs) in which platforms hold an equity or revenue stake could restrict other RPs from fair competition. The CCI noted that the platforms’ influence over search rankings, delivery management, and other critical areas could create an uneven playing field. Additionally, the commission flagged that Zomato and Swiggy's contracts with restaurant partners contained price parity clauses that prevent these restaurants from offering lower prices or greater discounts on their own platforms or other aggregators, helping to ensure that the minimum price or maximum discounts benefit the platforms exclusively.

Sagar Daryani, NRAI President said, “NRAI has been consistently raising the issue of anti-competitive and predatory practices of the food delivery aggregators for the last few years, and today, we are glad to read in the news that supposedly CCI has found some merits in our contention. I hope that CCI will also speed up the investigation on the other issues raised by the NRAI in its petition in 2022.”

Daryani further noted the importance of equitable market growth in India’s hospitality sector, stating, “We totally understand that the online business growth is an extremely important tool to grow the overall size of the sector and help India achieve the coveted target size of a $5 Trillion economy. However, it is imperative that the marketplaces like Swiggy and Zomato create a healthy and equitable market environment for the overall healthy growth within the sector.”

The NRAI initially brought its complaint against Zomato and Swiggy to the CCI in September 2021, citing concerns over practices including exclusivity agreements. In response, the CCI opened an investigation, during which NRAI members provided information to assist in assessing the impact of these practices on the market. Following its review of the redacted DG report, NRAI has petitioned the High Court to access the complete report, stating it remains committed to supporting a fair, competitive environment in line with Indian laws and regulations.

NRAI has refrained from commenting on the DG Report’s specific findings, as it remains a confidential document under CCI regulations.

 

Swiggy, India's leading on-demand convenience platform, recently introduced a new Group Ordering feature, which proved to be particularly useful during the Raksha Bandhan celebrations. Launched just a week before the festival, this feature aims to simplify the process of ordering food for occasions, gatherings, and parties. In one notable instance, a family in Bangalore used the Group Ordering feature to coordinate a single order involving 34 people, making their Raksha Bandhan celebration seamless.

The feature, which was rolled out nationwide ahead of the festive season, allows users to select a restaurant and create a group order. Swiggy has also announced plans to introduce bill-splitting options soon. During Raksha Bandhan, the platform observed significant engagement with this new offering:

• Group orders increased by 15 percent compared to usual orders on Raksha Bandhan.
• The highest average order value for group orders surged by 20 times.
• A single group order reached a value of Rs 7,329.

Group Ordering is designed to be versatile, catering to a variety of occasions, from festivals and game nights to professional events like team lunches and meetings.

Rohit Kapoor, CEO of Swiggy Food Marketplace said, "Whether you’re celebrating a festival, having a get-together, or just hanging out with friends, managing everyone’s food order can be a real hassle. That’s why we introduced Group Ordering just in time for the festive season. It’s already proving to be a hit—on Rakhi, for instance, we saw a 15 percent increase in group orders. It’s evident that people appreciate how this feature simplifies the ordering process, allowing them to focus on enjoying their time together."

The Group Ordering feature is straightforward to use. A user starts by selecting a restaurant on the Swiggy app and clicking on the "Group Order" tab located at the top right corner of the restaurant page. They can then share the cart link with all participants, who can browse the menu and add their chosen items. Once everyone has made their selections, the host reviews the final cart before placing the order. This process ensures that each person gets exactly what they want, reducing the burden on the host to manage everyone's preferences.

Swiggy's Group Ordering feature is expected to become increasingly popular, especially during festive seasons and group events, providing a convenient solution for collective food ordering.

 

One of India’s leading football teams, Bengaluru Football Club is geared up for the ongoing Indian Super League 2023 (ISL) with an exciting association with India’s first food court on an app, EatSure as the official food delivery partner. 

In addition to curating the dining experience at all home games in Sree Kanteerava Stadium, EatSure, will also have exclusive deals available on its app platform on Bengaluru FC’s match days. 

“We’re really delighted to have EatSure as our partners for the coming season. Fan experience is something we are constantly trying to improve and a brand like EatSure coming on board will surely go a long way in that aspect. We’re looking forward to a fruitful association,” said Blues’ Director of Football, Darren Caldeira.

With this partnership, EatSure became the first food-tech player to partner with Bengaluru FC and curate F&B experiences at the stadium with several prominent brands during ISL. 

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with the Bengaluru FC football team, a dynamic squad that embodies the spirit of football—a sport that unites fans and communities across the world. With EatSure - the Foodcourt on an App, regardless of tastes, moods, or preferences - families, couples, groups and even individuals can order meals of their choice while cheering for their favourite team,” added Addarsh Barathi, Brand Marketing Head, EatSure.
EatSure customers and The Blues Fans will also get a chance to get their hands on match tickets & exclusive merchandise. 

Launched in 2020, EatSure aims to address customer problems while ordering food and allows users to easily order food from multiple trusted restaurants in a single order, thereby bringing the food-court experience to your phone. EatSure is a full-stack player with an omnichannel presence that includes physical food courts in Pune and the EatSure app that has been loved by customers across India with 10 Million + downloads across 80+ Indian cities.
 

 

JustMyRoots, the intercity food delivery startup, has completed its acquisition of The State Plate (TSP), a company specializing in non-perishable packaged food products.

This strategic move is a pivotal step in JustMyRoots' overarching strategy to broaden its footprint within the nationwide packaged intercity food market.

TSP made a notable appearance on the first season of Shark Tank India and secured investment from Peyush Bensal, the CEO of Lenskart.

Furthermore, it successfully raised pre-seed capital from Antler India, valuing the company at approximately $2 million.

As part of the agreement, Muskaan Sancheti and Raghav Jhawar, the founders of TSP, will seamlessly join the JustMyRoots team and retain their roles in overseeing the business.

Samiran Sengupta, CEO of JustMyRoots, expressed that this acquisition marks a substantial step in their ongoing commitment to revolutionize intercity food delivery in India.

Former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly has recently acquired a minority share in JustMyRoots.

 

 

Kolkata-based cloud-kitchen brand Edabba has recently launched its first quick-service restaurant (QSR) outlet at Metro Cash & Carry. 

Having established itself as a successful cloud kitchen chain in East India, the brand has now forayed into a new territory of the value added QSR format.

"Our foray into the QSR format with the launch of our 12-seater outlet at Metro Cash n Carry is an exciting new chapter for edabba. We're thrilled to be able to expand our reach to even more customers, in a quick and convenient setting. This launch is just the beginning for us - we have big plans for expansion and are committed to redefining the QSR market with our innovative approach,” shared Vedant Pasari, Founder, edabba.

It is set to offer customers a wide range of cuisines from all of its subsidiary brands, including Red Lantern, Ebowl, and Edabba which serve Indian, Chinese and oriental cuisines.

Edabba prides itself on using only the freshest and highest-quality ingredients in its dishes, ensuring that every meal is nutritious and delicious. The menu features a range of classic Indian, Chinese, and Oriental dishes, each of which can be customized to suit the customer's individual taste preferences. The brand provides patron’s with an option to curate their own bowls by selecting mains and accompaniments based on their preferences.

With its commitment to quality ingredients, customizable options, and economical price points, edabba is poised to disrupt the QSR market in Kolkata and beyond.

The chain’s cloud kitchen format allows foe easy scalability, and Edabba has big plans for expansion across Kolkata and other cities in Pan- India as well.

 

DoorDash has decided to cut jobs as a result of the sudden drop in demand and the skyrocketing costs. During the pandemic, the company hired a lot of people to help people who were stuck at home.

The online meal delivery service DoorDash announced it will be laying off roughly 1,250 employees, or 6% of its whole workforce, in order to deal with a downturn in demand.

The business hired a lot of people to handle the surge in demand brought on by the pandemic. However, the company is now dealing with skyrocketing prices as a result of the unexpected decline in demand from inflation-conscious customers.

"We did not manage the growth of our workforce with the discipline that we ought to have. That's my fault. As a result, operating costs increased rapidly, "Tony Xu, the company's chief executive, stated in a note to staff that was published on the website of the business.

DoorDash joins a series of multinational American companies that have fired thousands of workers recently as they prepare for a future economic slump, including Amazon.com Inc.

While Xu from DoorDash underlined that the company has been more resilient than other e-commerce businesses, he claimed doing so "wouldn't close the gap."

 

Something about a wholesome & flavourful biryani calls for celebration and get-togethers to bond over food.

Gurgaon-based Modern Indian restaurant SAGA has introduced a special delivery menu - Saga@Home #BondwithBiryani.

As the name suggests, this is a family portion, comes in four varieties and is a no-miss for any family table.

“Biryani is a hearty celebration meal for all occasions – whether on a lazy laid back Sunday afternoon or a grand delicious indulgence on the dinner table with your family and friends. Our menu hosts diverse varieties to please everyone. With this curation, we’ve entered into the delivery space so that people can #BondwithBiryani in the comfort of their homes,” shared F&B Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of SAGA, Vishal Anand.

Talking about the biryani, two-time Michelin Star Chef Atul Kochhar reveals some exciting options that one can try, such as Kathal Biryani, Kolkata Nizami Biryani, Chicken Biryani, and Goat Biryani.

"There can be nothing better than a plateful of quintessential `biryani’, made with succulent pieces of meat/vegetables. Every region of our country prides itself on its own unique biryani recipe,” added Kochhar.

At SAGA, the biryanis are made using the finest ingredients in a traditional Awadhi style, slow-cooked dum preparation method, served along with maa makhani, salan and raita for a complete meal experience. Our biryani is great for two and serves two-three, perfect for those bonding moments over great food.

 

UK- based food delivery brand Deliveroo said its orders more than doubled in the quarter ending March in its first trading update since its highly-anticipated listing in London last month flopped.

Growth accelerated for the fourth consecutive quarter, the company said, with group orders up 114% year-on-year to 71 million and gross transaction value (GTV) up 130% year-on-year to 1.65 billion pounds ($2.27 billion), reported Reuters.

"This is our fourth consecutive quarter of accelerating growth, but we are mindful of the uncertain impact of the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions,"shared Will Shu, CEO at Deliveroo by adding that demand was strong in both UK and Ireland and its international markets, driven by record new customer growth and sustained demand from existing customers.

"So while we are confident that our value proposition will continue to attract consumers, restaurants, grocers and riders throughout 2021, we are taking a prudent approach to our full year guidance," he added.

Deliveroo was maintaining its guidance for full-year GTV growth of between 30% to 40% and gross profit margins of 7.5-8.0%.

It also mentioned that it was difficult to know how much of the growth was driven by the lack of opportunity to eat out in cafes and restaurants in COVID-19 lockdowns, adding that it expected the rate of growth to slow as restrictions eased.

Deliveroo's float in London was heralded at the debut of the decade, but it soured when the stock fell 30% on the first day, wiping more than 2 billion pounds off the company's initial 7.6 billion pound valuation.

 

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday issued an order, allowing home delivery of food and essential supplies through online service providers 24 hours on all days of the week during the ongoing state-wide coronavirus-induced restrictions.

Also Read: Current restrictions will wipe out 60% of local restaurant companies says Maharashtra Restaurant owners

BMC has also allowed road-side food stalls, including fruit vendors, to provide parcel and take-away services during the weekend lockdowns.

"No person is allowed to stand there and consume food," reads the order issued after a meeting conducted by the state chief secretary with municipal commissioners and district authorities.

“On somedays all you need is a box of hope delivered to you hot for dinner,” shared Saransh Goila of Goila Butter Chicken in an Instagram post.

The order also said that during the weekend lockdown, take-away from the restaurants in person will not be allowed, although home delivery is allowed.

 

Azuma Kara; translating to ‘from the East’ is a cloud kitchen located in Shahpur Jat.

The brand is serving Pan Asian delicacies catering to food enthusiasts leading a fast-paced life while harbouring a love for authentic Asian food.

Also Read: How Cloud Kitchen is changing the Dine-In Scenario in India

Launched by mother-daughter duo Vidhi and Sonal Taneja, Azuma Kara came into existence as Vidhi- a 20-year-old university student identified a gap in the delivery segment of the market and dreamed of creating a unique delivery joint to bridge it. 

The head chef of the hub; Chef Akshat has previous work experience from Taj Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi being an Outlet Chef at Blue Ginger, having garnered the perfect grasp over produce, flavours and techniques.

“Asia & Europe have always been my favourite travel stories and as a result, their culinary legacies were the inspiration behind our two brands- Azuma Kara and Tiella. Being a paranoid person myself, I have ensured our safety measures are intact; while providing a seamless delivery experience to clients. Our main aim through this was to provide customers with a restaurant like an experience in the comfort of their home,” shared Taneja.

May Interest: Mamagoto forays into their new Cloud Kitchen segment

The base kitchen has been divided into two parts, wherein one area is dedicated to the kitchen while the other area is used for packaging and administrative work.

They also aim at entering into FMCG segment by launching few products. Azuma Kara is operational to order from, 7 days a week, from 12 pm to 12 am.

 

Bringing the authentic flavors of Burma to the comfort of your home, South Bombay’s much loved Burma Burma Restaurant and Tea Room step into the western suburbs of the city.

Launching its first delivery kitchen situated in Santacruz, Burma Burma will now service the western suburbs of Juhu, Andheri, BKC, Chembur, Vile Parle, Lokhandwala, Khar, Bandra West, Kalina among others.

Also Read: Borrow, Merge, Innovate: As 2020 takes bite out of business, restaurants look to turn the table

“Starting a delivery kitchen was always in the pipeline, as being located in South Mumbai made it difficult for us to spread our flavors across the city while our patrons found it inconvenient to travel all the way to the restaurant to savour our food. Being able to make people try Burmese cuisine is the main aim to start the delivery kitchen and it will act as our first step towards many more,” shared Ankit Gupta, Co-Founder, Burma Burma.

Encompassing the diverse regional culinary traditions of Myanmar, the specialty Burmese kitchen will reflect the gastronomic history inspired by surrounding countries and ancient traditions. Be it the all-time favorite curries, salads, or the stir-fries and noodles that add variety to the regional palate, their menu is sure to make its way to a foodie's heart.

May Interest: Focusing on colonial style interiors, Burma Burma enters The City Of Joy!

Burma Burma is the brainchild of Ankit Gupta and Chirag Chhajer and was started with an honest intention of making delicious Burmese cuisine accessible to all.

They have also partnered with Thrive, Swiggy & Zomato for online delivery.

 

Mobile-based food delivery company Foodpanda on Thursday said it would stick with plans to expand its grocery offerings in Myanmar, despite the uncertainty from a military coup this week, reported Reuters.

Also Read: Foodpanda losses widen by 230% in FY19

"Overall, in 2021, we definitely have it our plans to launch in these four markets," said Abhishek Sahay, Regional Director, Foodpanda.

The brand is also planning to expand grocery delivery service in Laos, Cambodia and Japan.

“Pandamart operates small warehouses placed at key locations so that groceries could be delivered in under half an hour,” he added.

Owned by Delivery Hero, Foodpanda launched Pandamart in 2019 in Singapore.

May Interest: Foodpanda delists many restaurants as it shifts focus to 'dark kitchens'

As of January, it has a presence in 40 cities and eight markets in Asia including Thailand, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

 

Food delivery player Swiggy’s net loss jumped by 61% to Rs 3,768 crore in the financial year ended March 2020.

According to regulatory filings as per business intelligence platform Tofler, Swiggy’s revenue grew by nearly 125% to Rs 2,515 crore during the year.

Also Read: Swiggy partners with PM SVANidhi Scheme, to onboard 30,000 street food vendors

The food delivery brand is betting big on its platform fee for connecting restaurants and the delivery fee it charges to deliver the food orders.

Its earnings also include advertisement income and selling food via its cloud kitchen including The Bowl Company, and Homely.

The Bengaluru-based firm’s total expenses grew by nearly 80% to Rs 6,544 crore, as it spent more across verticals like staff expense, marketing and others.

Also Read: Swiggy launches Health Hub in Bengaluru, to make healthy eating convenient

With heightened health consciousness, increasing awareness around eating right, and a growing demand for food amongst urban Indians, that is nutritionally measured, the on-demand delivery platform Swiggy also launched Health Hub, a dedicated healthy food discovery destination on the main Swiggy app last year.

 

“Today, we closed a $660m primary financing round at a post-money valuation of $3.9b,” shared Deepinder Goyal in a Tweet on Friday.

The food delivery major is also in the process of closing a $140m secondary transaction. As part of this transaction, they have already provided liquidity worth $30m to the ex-employees.

Also Read: Zomato to offer takeaway service to restaurants at zero commission

“10 new investors are joining us in our journey,” added his tweet whose list includes Tiger Global, Kora, Luxor, Fidelity (FMR), D1 Capital, Baillie Gifford, Mirae, and Steadview.

Goyal also mentioned that food delivery in India is rapidly coming out of COVID-19 shadows. “December 2020 is expected to be the highest ever GMV month in our history. We are now clocking ~25% higher GMV than our previous peaks in February 2020,” he added.

In October, the Gurgaon-based platform has raised Rs 380 crore (about $52 million) from US-based investment firm Kora Investments.

May Interest: Zomato bags $52 million from Kora Investments

The infusion happened through Kora Investments I LLC, a company incorporated under the laws of Cayman Islands, according to the documents filed by Zomato.

 

On-demand food delivery brand DoorDash is planning to raise around $2.8 billion in an initial public offering that’s part of an end-of-year U.S. listings rush.

The company said it will use the funds primarily for ‘general corporate purposes’ such as working capital and operating expenses. Some of the proceeds could also go toward acquiring or investing in other businesses, though it has no such agreements right now.

Also Read: McDonald's adds DoorDash as new delivery partner, ending its exclusive deal with Uber Eats

The American company said in a filing Monday that it is planning to sell 33 million shares for $75 to $85 each. At the top end of this range, the company could be valued at about $32 billion, taking into account the outstanding shares listed in its filing, as well as employee stock options and restricted stock units.

The San Francisco-based brand is the market leader in the delivery in the US, accounting for half of all sales. It will trade on the NYSE with the symbol DASH, joining Uber Eats, Grubhub and Waitr on the public market, reported Restaurant Business Online.

May Interest: Food delivery startup DoorDash is raising $500 million in funding

Founded in July, 2013 by Stanford students Tony Xu, Stanley Tang, Andy Fang and Evan Moore, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan are serving as lead book-running managers for its IPO.

 

It’s undeniable that Malaysia has gone through a challenging patch filled with uncertainty this year, however, it is beyond doubt that local businesses have also benefited from shifting online via the various platforms available.

 

Taking a step ahead, food delivery major Grab food has now made delivery fees nationwide for customers favourite eats as low as 50 cents for selected restaurants less than 1.5 km away.

 

This is aimed at encouraging more orders for smaller and independent restaurants, thus helping them grow and sustain through this period while also helping to grow orders for GrabFood’s delivery-partners.

 

”Our aim is to ensure that as a platform, we not only provide businesses with an additional avenue to generate sales, but help to establish a constant flow of orders for them too. And to ensure this, we need to consider everyone in the ecosystem - merchants-partners, delivery riders and customers, and come up with solutions and innovations that will be beneficial to all,” shared Sean Goh, Managing Director of Grab Malaysia.

 

This is clear with the countless stories we see of traditional businesses reaping the benefits of going through digital transformation - from our neighbourhood cafes to traditional market vendors and even home-based sellers.

 

“We are subsidizing the delivery fees and expanding our traditional food merchant footprint. This will help to drive more orders for these businesses and our delivery partners, while enhancing the affordability on our platform for budget conscious customers,” he added.

 

Digitalising traditional hawkers 

 

 

Following the success of the first Food Court initiative, ‘Food Courts by GrabFood’ is expanding to more locations nationwide which will see over 100 food courts and close to 900 hawker vendors across the country adopting the ‘mix & match’ feature by the end of the year.

 

The feature which was introduced earlier this year allows users to order from multiple stalls within a food court and only pay one delivery fee. This will give these vendors the avenue to maintain their operations despite having a loss in dine in customers. In tandem, this also allows users to support local and traditional eateries affordably while still practicing social distancing. 

 

“We want to do everything in our power to help all Malaysians through any challenges that they may be facing. Moving forward, we look forward to fortifying our platform and services even further through technology and innovations,” he further added.

 

Out of Pao that is born out of the love for pao in the city of Mumbai has launched its first delivery kitchen in the city.

The cloud kitchen offers delicious dishes stuffed with international and exotic fillings into the locally beloved pav.

Also Read: Restaurants Unlock 2020

“Every dish on the menu is like a mini tradition trip to the origin of flavour that’ll leave you wanting for more. Personally, pav is my first love and I am devoted to it - be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  All the creations and variations I wanted to bring to life along with experimenting with world cuisine is reflected in Out Of Pao. Simply put, Out Of Pao is a trendy and refreshing culinary experience, posing perfectly for the new cool food,” shared Dave Malhotra, partner at Septagon Hospitality.

Out Of Pao’s menu brings you a rainbow of options that’ll leave you fascinated with the delightful and trendy variations. From Mexican beans to paneer to chicken to mushroom, the menu also covers a diversity of taste buds. So one can expect to find Amigo, Pesto Pao, Lucy in the Sky, and Mi-so Sexyto name a few of the additions.

May Interest: Anjan Chatterjee owned Speciality Restaurants plans to set up 26 cloud kitchens across the country

The menu is of an ‘all-day’ nature, to be eaten whenever you want. Especially, when you wish to eat something new, light, and yet stomach-filling, you can sure choose Out Of Pao as your first option because ain’t nobody like our desi pav!

The orders can be placed through Swiggy and Zomato as they are serving their delicacies pan-Mumbai.

Keeping it steady and going, the brand plans to expand and soon transform into a food truck in the near future.

 

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Due to the lockdown, home deliveries have got a lot of traction for the lack of dine-in options and regulation on celebrations, however, the loyal clients of Foodlink expressed how they miss the authentic experience of Japanese Food, which is known to be one of the stars of Foodlink’s uber-luxury events.

Hence Ai (pronounced as I) was born in spirit purely out of the love of our discerning patrons, their love of Japanese Cuisine, and Foodlink.

Also Read: Foodlink is reinventing party catering with China Bistro’s ‘Live Kitchen’

Ai is curated to satiate Japanese food cravings offering an irresistible menu selection available in ‘Ready to Eat’ and ‘Do It Yourself’ formats delivered to your doorstep.

“Through this time of global crisis, the one thing that has kept us all going is love and encouragement from family, colleagues, and guests. We wanted Ai to be a testimony of this love. Ai means love in Japanese; it’s born out of the love of our patrons and through Ai we reciprocate the feeling through our food. Love grows when we share it and Foodlink believes in spreading love through our food”, shares Sanjay Vazirani, CMD Foodlink F&B Holdings Pvt. Ltd.

Ai offers an innovative menu with a plethora of vegetarian offerings including bespoke and custom dishes suitable for vegans, health enthusiasts, and ones with any specific religious or dietary requirements.

Despite the odds of the current on-going pandemic, Ai is proud to have started with immense support and a phenomenal response from the patrons. Foodlink has currently rolled it out only in Mumbai to make available the finer tastes from the land of the rising sun for the discerning Indian Palate. The orders have to be placed 48 Hours prior with a minimum order value of 4000 Rs. 

May Interest: Indians to soon get a taste of authentic Japanese-style curries

“Japanese food tradition is as much about the preparation and presentation as it is the food itself. A great deal of thought goes into every item served. While people think of only four annual seasons, we consider dozens of seasons and carefully select ingredients that are in their prime with flavors that represent that specific period. Simplicity is the Key… Simple flavors with top quality ingredients.” adds Chef Sadik Khan, the super-specialist of Japanese Culinary Art.

 

 

The pandemic has led to a surge in demand for home-cooked food and a consequent rise in demand for food prepared by local home cooks/bakers.

Dineout’s B2B arm, ‘inresto'  will allow home cooks to share the digital menu link with their customers via the Order Food button on Instagram and Facebook profiles, Whatsapp and SMS allowing them to place orders in a few clicks.

Also Read: Restaurant-tech platform Dineout launches Takeaway services with restaurants

Customers can make the payment online and can also get food delivered at their doorstep using the link making the entire journey seamless for both, the home baker and the customer.

“We’re excited to serve diners with home-cooked meals with the convenience of doorstep deliveries through our order widget solution for home cooks/bakers. Our White Labelled solution will help Home Cooks connect with more customers without worrying about the logistics of delivery and payments,” shared Ankit Mehrotra, CEO & Co-founder, Dineout.

Once the customer places an order through the link provided by the home chef, the order confirmation is sent to respective home cooks on immediate basis and to the delivery executive to fulfill the order.

Customers receive the notifications via SMS and can track the delivery in real-time. For delivery, ‘inresto’ is integrated with logistics partners such as Dunzo and Shadowfax making home cooks self-sufficient and independent of aggregators.

May Interest: Dineout partners with AI-powered JARVIS to combat COVID-19 at Restaurants and Kitchens

Along with enabling delivery logistics for home cooks, order widget solutions from inresto also promotes ordering through Instagram and Facebook.

By adding a button on Instagram profile and stickers on stories, the widget allows home cooks and restaurants to get direct orders from Instagram and Facebook. The widget gives home bakers the opportunity to retarget their customer base through the data collected and helps them manage their economies better by saving on commissions. The order widget provides payment integration for Home Chefs by making the entire payment experience digital and hassle-free.

 

Bengaluru-based on-demand delivery platform Swiggy has launched Health Hub, a dedicated healthy food discovery destination on the main Swiggy app.

With heightened health consciousness, increasing awareness around eating right, and a growing demand for food amongst urban Indians, that is nutritionally measured, Swiggy has worked with nutritionists and top restaurants in the country to enable curation of special health menus and dishes by restaurants.  

“There is a visible demand for healthy food choices by consumers and restaurants are seeking opportunities to innovate and stay relevant to these market changes. With Health Hub, we want to boost healthy eating patterns across the country and dismiss commonly held beliefs that healthy food is bland, hard to find and expensive,” said Vivek Sunder, COO, Swiggy.

Health Hub will further assist consumers in deciding what to order by becoming the first food delivery platform in the country where the restaurants will be able to share detailed nutritional information on macronutrients like protein, carbs, fats etc for dishes.

Over 10,000 unique healthy dishes from 1,000+ restaurant outlets are available on the platform at present. Health Hub is currently live for android users in Bangalore and will expand to Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi in the next few weeks.

To enable restaurant partners to quickly adapt, Swiggy is providing support in menu design, ingredient sourcing, staff training, branding and marketing. For instance, Swiggy has worked with one of Bangalore’s favourite restaurants - Truffles, to assist in curating a dedicated healthy menu and offer healthier versions of some of their most popular dishes.

“Truffles is excited to launch its curated healthy menu through Swiggy Health Hub. Keeping in mind the growing health consciousness among customers, we have launched a curated healthy menu on Swiggy called "Healthy Twists". We think Swiggy Health Hub will be a single destination for healthy food for all palates and we are excited to serve our patrons with the new healthy menu by Truffles,” added Avinash Bajaj, Director, Truffles Hospitality Pvt Ltd.

Currently, Health Hub is live in 30+ areas in Bangalore and provides healthy options from popular restaurants including Grow Fit, Truffles, Adiga’s, Chai Point, Apsara Ice Creams, Brooklyn Creamery to name a few.

“Health hub is a great platform offering healthy food choices, keeping in mind the current scenario. Along with Chaayos' signature Meri Wali Chai, patrons can enjoy their favourite beverages, nashta and snacks that are not just flavorful but also healthy and nutritious!” says Nitin Saluja, Founder, Chaayos Meri Wali Chai.

 

Cross Border Kitchens (CBK) - a multi-brand, multi-vertical food-tech company has registered INR 3.33 crore in revenue in FY19.

The company has also witnessed a 12% hike in cart value and recorded a 20-25% increase in order conversions during the lockdown.  

Currently, CBK fulfils10-12 thousand orders every month and plans to expand to 5 kitchen locations operating 13 unique brands by the end of Q2 2020.

“There has been heightened interest in the cloud kitchen model as COVID has significantly altered consumer behaviour. At CBK we have championed the multi-brand, multi-vertical model from the outset and are utilizing technology, culinary art, marketing, and operational excellence to deliver a memorable gourmet experience,” shared Mayank Singh Negi, Co-founder, Cross Border Kitchens by adding that their model enables us to be CAPEX efficient, scale fast, and significantly reduce overhead rate.

“Our overhead rate has dropped from INR 709 an hour in Q1 2019 to INR 106 an hour in Q2 2020, demonstratingthe efficiency of our model. We served over 100,000 orders in FY 2019 and are projecting 500,000+ orders in FY 2020,” he added.

In the next 18 months, CBK plans to have a multi-city presence while also expanding its brand portfolio to 22 unique brands. The company hopes to create 2000 to 2500 employment opportunities in that time. 

 

Launched in early 2019, CBK manages 9 exceptional food delivery brands across multiple cuisines including Indian, Western, Pan-Asian, and Specialty.

The company has an additional 4 brands scheduled for launch in July. CBK currently operates 3 kitchens in the Delhi-NCR region and has 2 additional kitchens in the fit-out phase.

 

The group also raised an angel round led by Shreedhar Gupta earlier this March.

 

European food delivery company Just Eat Takeaway to buy American food delivery major Grubhub at $75.15 per share.

After the acquisition the company would become one of the largest player in the US and European markets.

The merger happened after Grubhub’s talks with Uber fell through amid concerns over antitrust scrutiny. Though both parties had agreed on a price ratio, the companies remained concerned about likely antitrust pressure and could not come to an agreement on how Uber would support Grubhub through the regulatory process, shared a report by CNBC’s David Faber.

According to reports, Just Eat Takeaway.com and Grubhub processed 593 million restaurant orders in 2019 and have about 70 million users worldwide. Combined, they will be the largest restaurant delivery company outside China.

Just Eat Takeaway.com will acquire 100% of Grubhub's shares at an implied value of $75.15 per share.

Matt Maloney, Grubhub's founder and CEO, will join Just Eat Takeaway.com's board and will lead the company's North American business, the companies said. The merger will let the companies share technology and marketing costs and provide the broadest range of services to restaurants and consumers, the companies said.

Takeaway.com and Grubhub, both were started in the early 2000s, were some of the earliest entries in the food delivery business like Uber Eats, DoorDash, Deliveroo and Postmates to name a few.

 

Noida based Homefoodi that delivers home-made food made by home chefs has transformed to incorporate No- contact at every level of the organization.

The brand will be carrying out all their services online to ensure no human interactionfor the home chefs as well as the consumers.

Homefoodi’s foundation is based on the mission of “Ghar-Ghar Start-Up” and the brand has successfully created India’s largest self-employment opportunity for women by offering a work from home platform to home chefs.

“Homefoodi is an organization built around Health andHygiene. Our Initiative of ‘No-Contact’ at every level is our commitment towards the safety and well-being of our Consumers, Partners and Employees,” shared Narendra Singh Dahiya, Founder and Director, Homefoodi.

Safe and healthy food made in hygienic home kitchens differentiates Homefoodi from other food delivery apps that are aggregators of restaurants and commercial kitchens.

The on-going societal condition has convinced most individuals to undertake a ‘Healthy and Fit’ lifestyle and Homefoodi in the process, aids the same by providing healthy and hygienic home-cooked food.

With the increased number of Covid-19 cases, ‘remote working’ commonly termed as work from home has become the most viable option in order to maintain social distancing. In the wake of the current situation, Homefoodi has moved every dimension of their business online to ensure a complete contact-less ecosystem of home chefs, vendors, delivery partners and company employees in compliance with the government’s mandate to maintain social distance at all times.

 

A month and a half into the nationwide lockdown, besides working from home, people are trying their hands at cooking, while some are upgrading their gastronomical skills. For all those who are craving for delicious food that resonates with their taste buds, restaurants have started food delivery.

Brigade Hospitality, the leading hospitality arm that operates quite a few renowned clubs in and around the city like The Woodrose, Galaxy, Augusta, and Regent will deliver scrumptious food through Swiggy and Zomato.

These clubs are known for preparing some of the choicest cuisines from north to south Indian specialties to the all-time favourites like pizzas & pastas, wraps & sandwiches, snacks & chaats, appetizers, desserts to name a few. Not just that, as the holy month of Ramadan is underway, you can also order your veg and non-veg combos of biryani from them to break your fast at the holy hour.

The clubs have implemented superior hygiene measures at all their kitchens and the entire staff that engages in the preparation of food to packaging and delivering, meet all the necessary safety requirements.

 

Cross Border Kitchens has introduced a special Ramadan menu across six of its brands – Biryani Central, Irfan Bhai, Chutney India, Bro Momo, AIM Burger and Pind Patiala. Iftari indeed cannot be bigger.

The menuprepared under the safest and utmost hygienic conditions that include zero-contact cooking as well as zero contact delivery, ensures that you can feast without any fear roza or no-roza!

The diverse offerings of various Iftari options display an integral brand ethos of Cross Border Kitchens, the belief that love of food brings everyone together.

The carefully constructedRamadan Menu brings forth a variety of dishes that truly deliver a feast.

From the kitchen of Irfan Bhai, the brand known for its exotic curries and authentic Lucknawi preparations brings delicious combos such as Murgh Khushnuma Biryani, served with Murgh Kadhai, soft and fluffy Afghani Naans and Murgh Tandoori served with Shahide Jaam and Masala Chaas.

Biryani Central, the flagship brand under the Cross Border Kitchens portfolio has a handcrafted Dastarkhwan Ramadan menu with heavenly combos of Awadhi Murgh Biryani, Murgh Makhni, delicious Butter Naan, Tandoori Chicken, sinful Malai Phirnee and Aam Panna.

Each and every brand part of CBK’s portfolio is celebrating the spirit of the festival from AIM Burger with their Grilled and Classic Burgers, Onion Rings, Thick Shakes and Crazee Fries or Bro Momo with their Steamed and Fried Momos, Fried Rice and Chowmein as well as Pind Patiala with their authentic Punjabi combos of PindMurgh Tikka Masala, LahoriMalaiKofta and Shahi Murgh Pind Patiala are on offer.

The lockdown and social distancing is enough to bring down anyone’s spirits, indulge in a much needed reminder of the spirit of sacrifice honoring the spirit of togetherness.

 

The robust growth of the online food delivery industry in the recent years is not unknown to us. It has not only been expanding our food choice at our convenience, but the very fact that it offers a wide array of restaurants with a single tap of their mobile phone is something that makes it noteworthy.

After huge investments in a two-hour delivery supply chain for Amazon Now portfolio, Amazon is now piloting its much-anticipated project of food delivery in select localities in Bengaluru. With Swiggy and Zomato being the primary keys players in the industry, the entrance of a new player, Amazon is surely going to be a game-changer in the industry in terms of rise in competition or change in logistics.

Amazon has constantly been covering new areas of business to its platform ever since its existence. And this new move to enter the food delivery industry is surely a part of building a comprehensive product portfolio. In times when Swiggy and Zomato have cut discounts and tightened cost structure, it would be noteworthy to witness the steps they would take to keep their foot in place.

 

The Challenge that comes with Amazon

Amazon’s entry into the food delivery market would create new challenges for Prosus Ventures-backed Swiggy and Zomato. Both the startups, having raised more than $2 billion together, are still not profitable, losing more than $15 million each month to acquire new customers and sustain existing ones. Figuring a path to profitability might take some time in a country like India. Amazon’s established image in the market guarantees no surety of its success as Swiggy operates in more than 520 cities in India and maintains a partnership with over 160,000 partners.

With proper logistics and strategic approach, dynamics might change for both existing and the new player Until then, it would be interesting to watch how Amazon will use its base to attract customers and what strategy would Swiggy and Zomato undertake to retain their existing customers.

 

 

Ahmedabad a vibrant hub of Gujarat known for its warm hospitality and friendly people, is also famous for its heritage eateries and their mouth-watering dishes ranging from Dhoklas to Thalis and much more.

This is not only an attraction for tourists but for people from all over Gujarat as well. To avail of these mouth-watering delicacies log on to JustMyRoots as it goes local in Ahmedabad, delivering to Gandhinagar as well.

Partnership with iconic eateries

JustMyRoots has partnered with iconic eateries namely Chandra Vilas, Iscon Thal, Kandoi and Parosa.

Chandra Vilas is a well-known restaurant that has been catering to its customers in the city for over a century. It has a number of exotic dishes that will make you drool and is a predominant name in the food market. Foodies swear by its ‘Gujarati Tuvar Dal’ that has set a whole new standard for the cuisine. Their Fafda and Jalebis are a must-have, especially for those who go for an early morning walk in the city.

The standards are high when it comes to serving their dishes which resemble the unique and proud heritage of Ahmedabad which one can now avail while sitting in the comfort of their home. Iscon Thal an iconic restaurant duly noted for its traditional food such as Thali’s, has been luring foodies for years. Gujarati Thali is an absolute brand ambassador of the cuisine and an essential part of the culture of Ahmedabad.

If you have the taste buds for Western foods, then Parosa is the place to order from. A top-notch Restaurant in Ahmedabad, the menu caters to connoisseurs across the state. The menu comprises of dishes from India as well as around the world, Italian is a specialty at Parosa. Ranging from Pasta’s to wood-fired Pizzas, you can also have Mediterranean dishes from this restaurant, and all this is available to you through JustMyRoots.

To savour the sweet truth

Any Indian festivity or occasion is always incomplete without sweets. When it comes to sweets the name that echoes in the minds and hearts of every Gujarati for sweets would be Kandoi Bhogilal Mulchand. A brand that has woven old with new and makes out delicacies to every age group.

Customers can order from high calorie and premium categories such as Royal Velvet or Pure Silk box to low diets such as Bite Box and Diet Box. This sweetmeat dealer has items made from pure ghee and other items such as fresh fruits, nuts and raisins are now available through JustMyRoots.

 

Swiggy has launched a new initiative 'BrandWorks' to co-create delivery brands with its restaurant partners. BrandWorks provides a different menu, images, packaging and pricing from the restaurant's usual menu.

The food ordering and delivery aggregator has collaborated with some restaurants on its platform for creating delivery-only brands, with a separate identity from the parent eatery. The company’s move is aimed towards catering a gap in the food delivery requirement of particular areas.

Currently, the Bengaluru-headquartered firm has 100 BrandWorks brands across 13 cities. Swiggy is planning to triple the number by the end of the year.

Vishal Bhatia, Chief Executive of New Supply Business at Swiggy, said, “We approached these restaurants with consumer need gaps, knowing their (restaurants’) culinary capabilities. We said that let us co-create a brand in terms of menu, images, pricing, packaging. The brands are operated out of the partner's existing kitchens, so it’s an asset-light, minimalistic, incremental expenditure for the partner to do more out of their existing kitchens, while consumer needs are getting met.”

Swiggy’s partnership with restaurants

Swiggy says that delivery-friendly Chinese food continues to be a gap in Delhi. Therefore, the food delivery platform has tied up with Delhi-based Chinese and Thai food chain Bercos to develop a delivery-only brand, called ‘House of Chow’.

Kabir Advani, Managing Partner of Bercos Restaurant, stated, “It will be the same team and the existing kitchen (of Bercos). The packaging and some different products are the only extra cost for this brand. The portion sizes are also different; we have meals for one, individual meals and so on. We’ve also kept this as an independent brand, as we don’t want to cannibalise the Bercos brand.”

Presently, the House of Chow is available at six Bercos outlets. The restaurant looks to expand it to 15.

Swiggy Access initiative

Swiggy Access was started three years earlier. It involved taking on lease on a property, refurbishing into small, shared, kitchens and sub-letting to restaurant chains.

There are some restaurant owners who are considering extending the brands into dine-in formats as well. Brands like ‘Kitchens of Punjab’ and ‘Kitchens of China’, co-created with Bengaluru-based Gilly’s Restobar, will likely introduce a physical dine-in location soon, while expanding through Swiggy Access kitchens.

Gurupreet Singh Bali, Managing Partner at Gilly’s Restobar, added, “An incredibly innovative and effective idea. Our kitchens at the dine-in restaurants are fully equipped and run by experienced chefs, trained in multiple cuisines. We realised growth could come out of the negligible additional investment, leading to better utilisation of our existing resources through delivery. It is not just about the idea; Swiggy’s insights on consumer needs in the locality and expertise in brand creation have been crucial.”

 

Zomato has withdrawn exclusivity rights for restaurants under its cloud kitchen business. This move will allow restaurants to list on the food delivery company’s competitors, including Swiggy.

The food delivery platform was giving advertising rates at a steep discount to the restaurants using its cloud kitchen business. Due to this, the firm was losing revenue it could have gained from restaurants willing to pay higher costs.

The source said, “By allowing these restaurants to list on Swiggy, Zomato can now earn incremental rental revenue from sales with zero opportunity cost.”

The company has also added some conditions after withdrawing the exclusivity clause.

The chief executive of a brand that uses Zomato’s cloud kitchen stated, “Asking for exclusivity only makes sense if you can push a lot of demand your way, which was possible with aggressive discounting, but not at a sustainable profitable level.”

Zomato told brands in the email, “You need to ensure that your menu spread pricing and promotions on Zomato are equal to or better than that on your platform/third platforms.”

Why is food delivery trending?

In India, food trends are continuously changing with the change in eating habits of the ever-demanding consumers and the new concepts heating up the million-dollar food service industry.

From going to a restaurant over dinner or lunch, people today look out for delivery and getting their favorite food delivered to their doorstep. Similarly, rather than going to the grocery store to buy raw materials first and then cook them, customers can push a button and have their meal delivered in around 30 minutes from some of their favorite restaurants.

Seeking this opportunity not only the aggregators or delivery players who started this trend are betting big on this model but restaurants and food players are also eyeing this as the next ground to invest in.

Pros of food delivery

Placing orders online or on such apps proved beneficial for everyone. There are special discounts for new customers or discounts at various restaurants, always going on. A restaurant finder app can easily help you avail such discounts.

Brands and outlets have also started tying up with food delivery and hyperlocal mobile as getting listed on third-party Aggregators has proven very fruitful for them.

 

Zomato has bought Uber’s food delivery business, Uber Eats, in India in an all-stock transaction. This move will discontinue Uber Eats’ operations in the country.

With this deal, Uber gets a 9.99% ownership in Zomato. Uber Eats will direct restaurants, delivery partners, and users of its app to the Zomato platform.

The development is targeted at cutting losses at the ride-hailing company’s food delivery business in India that has been a drag on the company’s earnings.

Deepinder Goyal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zomato, said, “We are proud to have pioneered restaurant discovery and to have created a leading food delivery business across more than 500 cities in India. This acquisition significantly strengthens our position in the category.”

In India, Uber Eats was not doing well and was not meeting its target of being number one or two in the business. The company was losing business by around 20% of its EBIDTA margins and therefore decided to sell the business to Zomato. Uber Eats, however, will remain active in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Dara Khosrowshahi, Chief Executive Officer, Uber, stated, “India remains an exceptionally important market to Uber and we will continue to invest in growing our local Rides business, which is already the clear category leader.”

“Our Uber Eats team in India has achieved an incredible amount over the last two years, and I couldn’t be prouder of their ingenuity and dedication. We have been very impressed by Zomato’s ability to grow rapidly in a capital-efficient manner," Khosrowshahi added.

On recent acquisition of Uber Eats by Zomato, Yagnesh Sanghrajka, Chief Financial Officer at 100X.VC, said, “Uber selling UberEats to Zomato is a sign of consolidation which happens typically to achieve leadership post companies achieving sizeable aggregation. Zomato now has more than 50% share in the food delivery market with this deal. The strength of the delivery network of UberEats will benefit Zomato in growing its market share in South India and hence compete more fiercely with Swiggy nationwide.”

“Startups addressing one major pain point, focusing on it full time to scale and achieve a certain level of critical mass becomes an important milestone and can help turn into a unique selling proposition for a larger player to strike a deal with them to increase its market share and hence create value and future exit opportunities for its investors,” he further stated.

Uber will now continue to focus on building its ride-hailing business in India where it competes with rival Ola.

 

Homefoodi, a Noida based e-commerce start-up known to provide authentic home-made food made by home chefs to their customers, is currently having a successful run. With a significant increase in the number of Home chefs associated with Homefoodi, it has now touched the 150 mark.

Homefoodi is a mobile app for authentic home-made food made by Home-Chefs in their homes. Now associated with over 150 Home Chefs in Noida, the Mobile App offers access to the widest range of Home Food and Bakery products prepared by home chefs.

Narendra Singh Dahiya, Founder and Director, Homefoodi, said, “It gives us immense pride and joy to be associated with over 150 Home-chefs. Homefoodi is an initiative to empower every Home Maker to contribute towards Nation Building. We are thrilled that these Home Chefs can now create their own unique identity and reach out to countless customers at the comfort of their Homes.”

Inception of Homefoodi

During the inception of Homefoodi, the company initiated a research across the Metro cities and met up with over 2000 respondents (Homemakers & Consumers), which indicated that over 10% of the Homemakers would be keen to start up a Home Kitchen if they had a platform that could address their challenges and help them do business in a professional way.

The consumer research further established the love for Home food with over 90% of the respondents preferring Home food over outside eating. As per the research, 97% of consumers rightly Trust Home food to be Healthy & Hygienic. Homefoodi thus joined the two insights to create a two-fold Mission of “Ghar-Ghar Start-Up” & “Healthy Nation”.

 Homefoodi is a venture started by Narendra Dahiya and Dr. Mona Dahiya with a vision to help “Ghar Ki Lakshmi” to transform into “Bharat Ki Lakshmi”, thus empowering women by giving them a platform to work and earn from home. 

“We are humbled with the encouraging response from consumers and we will end our 1st Year of Operations with over 1 Lakh Consumers. We currently have over 150 Home Chefs in Noida with us and have already received over 500 New Registrations from Home Chefs in Noida alone. Every Day we are getting over 20 new submissions,” Dahiya further added.

Future Plans

Having a concrete expansion plan, Homefoodi plans to be present across the top 10 cities of India with over 1 lakh Home Chefs on their platform within the next 2 years.

Starting from the grass-root level, Homefoodi is climbing up its own way to triumph aiming to create India’s biggest self-employment chain by creating a Culture of Home Chefs through a mobile platform to earn from home being a Home Chef.

With a vision to unite the world through localized home food, Homefoodi plans to be present in 5 key Global Markets in the next 5 years.

 

Foodtech unicorn Zomato has secured $150 million in fresh funding from existing investor Ant Financial, a subsidiary of China-based giant Alibaba. The present round of funding is a part of Zomato’s larger $500 million fund raise.

With the latest fundraise, the food delivery platform has received $840 million in funding to date. Post this funding, the total valuation of CEO Deepinder Goyal-led company stands at around $3 billion.

The latest fundraise comes at a time when Zomato is reportedly targeting to acquire UberEats' India business for around $400 million.

The company said, “This is to inform you that Zomato Media Private Ltd. has signed a definitive agreement to undertake a primary fund raise of up to USD 150 million from Antfin Singapore Holding Pte. Ltd., which is an existing shareholder of Zomato, and/or any of its affiliates.”

“The transaction values Zomato at a pre-money valuation of $3 billion,” Zomato added.

In 2018, Zomato secured $210 million from Ant Financial, which received a 14.7% stake, and later raised the stake to 23%.

Other investors in Zomato are Info Edge India, Vy Capital, Sequoia Capital and Singapore-based Temasek.

Presently, the food delivery platform is delivering more than 1.3 million orders a day from 150,000 restaurants across India at over 10 orders per restaurant per day.

Why is food delivery trending?

In India, food trends are continuously changing with the change in eating habits of the ever-demanding consumers and the new concepts heating up the million-dollar food service industry.

From going to a restaurant over dinner or lunch, people today look out for delivery and getting their favourite food delivered to their doorstep. Similarly, rather than going to the grocery store to buy raw materials first and then cook them, customers can push a button and have their meal delivered in around 30 minutes from some of their favourite restaurants.

Seeking this opportunity not only the aggregators or delivery players who started this trend are betting big on this model but restaurants and food players are also eyeing this as the next ground to invest in.

Pros of food delivery

Placing orders online or on such apps proved beneficial for everyone. There are special discounts for new customers or discounts at various restaurants, always going on. A restaurant finder app can easily help you avail such discounts.

Brands and outlets have also started tying up with food delivery and hyperlocal mobile as getting listed on third-party Aggregators has proven very fruitful for them.

 

McDonald’s India (North and East) has announced a new partnership with Zomato, further expanding the availability and accessibility of McDelivery. Customers in North and East India will now be able to order for their favorite McDonald’s food items on Zomato, and get it delivered to their doorsteps.

The service will be available through more than 125 McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India.

Rudra Kishore Sen, Senior Director, Operations and Training, McDonald’s India (North and East), said, “At McDonald’s, we are constantly looking for new and convenient ways to serve our customers, whether they are dining-in, or picking up their food on-the-go via our drive-through restaurants or ordering through McDelivery. We are excited to make McDelivery accessible to customers on Zomato, one of India’s leading online food delivery platforms, making it even more convenient for them to enjoy their favorite McDonald’s menu items.”

Mohit Sardana, Chief Operating Officer (Food Delivery), Zomato, stated, “It is absolutely wonderful to partner with a brand that revolutionized the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) segment in our country. Indians have endorsed, loved and cherished McDonald’s for more than two decades, and there’s only one thing to be said on Zomato now empowering McDelivery – I am lovin it.”

The partnership with Zomato has added a new dimension of convenience to McDonald’s core of serving great tasting food to the customers every day. Zomato’s live order-tracking feature is streamlined with the in-restaurant operation to provide the best experience for diners by delivering their food as hot and fresh as possible.

QSR’s Statistical View

As per a recent report, the Food Industry is no doubt booming at a fast rate, with Full-service restaurants and Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) together accounting for around 73% of the total restaurant industry.

According to the report by the National Restaurant Association of India, the overall restaurant market will touch Rs 510 billion in the next four years, from the current Rs 205 billion. It said that QSR space would be amongst the fastest-growing, touching nearly Rs 250 billion of the overall market in the next few years.

Popularity of QSR in India

QSRs have gained popularity with evolving lifestyles, urbanisation, and growing nuclear families. They are growing faster than the full-service restaurants across the globe due to their quick deliveries and competitive pricing that attract consumers. McDonald’s was the first QSR in India followed by various others such as KFC and Dominos.

QSRs have always been a zone of attraction for both consumers and business investors, making its franchises a lucrative segment for investment. QSR can be a one-stop destination for budding entrepreneurs that are stepping in this industry for the first time.

The Changing Behavior of Customers

Standardization across food outlet chains in terms of ambiance, hygiene, easy accessibility, and service has caused an instant interest in the mind of the customers, increasing the QSR’s footfall. QSR’s are helping Indians to warm up the western cuisines.

Despite Indian food being the ultimate winner, cuisines like Chinese, Mexican, Italian, and American are gaining significant popularity because of the curious customers who are willing to experiment with their taste buds.

Seeing the potential of the Indian food industry, more franchisors could be seen entering the QSR segment for marking their existence as a brand.

 

Swiggy has hiked the prices of its membership program called “Swiggy Super”.

The food delivery platform has raised the monthly subscription service charges for existing super members, which earlier cost Rs 79, to Rs 149. Similarly, the 3-month Swiggy Super membership plan, which was priced at Rs 179 earlier, will now be available for a price of 349.

The company’s upgraded membership plans will be effective starting from 08/01/2019. These upgraded prices will be applicable to the existing Swiggy Super members upon renewal.

For the first-time members/newbies, Swiggy is offering Swiggy Super Membership for Rs 79 for 1 month and Rs 179 for three months.

Swiggy Super Membership Programme

Swiggy’s membership program was rolled out back in July to provide unlimited free deliveries to its subscribers across all restaurants. Swiggy Super was priced at Rs 79 for one month and Rs 149 for three months.

The benefit of the membership includes that the members are not levied any surge fee during peak hours. Swiggy Super Membership Programme was introduced to take on the likes of its competitors such as Zomato and Uber Eats. Zomato’s Gold membership provides benefits like 1+1 in food and 2+2 in drinks on partner restaurants. 

Besides availing unlimited free deliveries on orders above Rs 99, the Swiggy Super members are offered priority customer services.

The food-delivery app firm promised to offer unlimited free deliveries across 35000 restaurants, listed on its platform irrespective of the distance or time of the day.

Why is food delivery trending?

In India, food trends are continuously changing with the change in eating habits of the ever-demanding consumers and the new concepts heating up the million-dollar food service industry.

From going to a restaurant over dinner or lunch, people today look out for delivery and getting their favourite food delivered to their doorstep. Similarly, rather than going to the grocery store to buy raw materials first and then cook them, customers can push a button and have their meal delivered in around 30 minutes from some of their favourite restaurants.

Seeking this opportunity not only the aggregators or delivery players who started this trend is betting big on this model but restaurants and food players are also eyeing this as the next ground to invest in.

Pros of food delivery

Placing orders online or on such apps proved beneficial for everyone. There are special discounts for new customers or discounts at various restaurants, always going on. A restaurant finder app can easily help you avail such discounts.

Brands and outlets have also started tying up with food delivery and hyperlocal mobile as getting listed on third-party Aggregators has proven very fruitful for them.

 

Food delivery startup Swiggy has forayed into the online payments space by introducing its own wallet, Swiggy Money. With this launch, the Bengaluru-headquartered company follows the footsteps of several consumer internet companies.

As of now, this new wallet will only be used to credit amounts for the canceled orders at the moment. Swiggy Money has been unveiled in partnership with ICICI bank. In addition to this, the firm claims that the wallet service is compliant with the norms laid down by the Reserve Bank of India for prepaid payment instruments.

What is Swiggy Money?

It is a wallet service where users can store money and pay for transactions on Swiggy. However, the wallet can only be used to credit amounts for the canceled orders at the moment. The company will be adding add other payments option like UPI, credit and debit cards, net banking, and even cash.

In addition to this, Swiggy said that the credits for late deliveries in case of a failed on-time delivery order will also be deposited in Swiggy Money.

Presently, the wallet can only be used for paying for food orders. Going forward, the food delivery platform said that orders through Swiggy Pop, Swiggy Stores, and Swiggy Go will also accept payments from the wallet.

Swiggy has further offered its users the facility to transfer their money from the wallet to their bank accounts.

Apart from the wallet, the company also expects to enter into the UPI-based payments business that may include peer-to-peer fund transfer. Swiggy believes that starting Swiggy Money only to credit cash for canceled or disputed orders is a smart move.

Doing about 50 million orders a month, Swiggy’s move to have an in-house wallet will certainly help it in driving scale and engagement. The company also felt the urge to have an in-house payment product, especially after bringing four different products, including Supr, Swiggy Stores, Swiggy Daily, and Swiggy Go this year.

Complying with KYC norms

In order to use Swiggy Money, a user has to comply with know-your-customer (KYC) norms, however, for ICICI bank users, the KYC is not required for the usage of wallet on the platform.

A Swiggy Money user can transact up to Rs 10,000 with minimum KYC, while a full KYC allows the user to load up to Rs 1,00,000 at any given time. At present, the wallet is available on food orders but will soon be opened up for Swiggy Pop, Swiggy Stores, and Swiggy Go.

 

Foodpanda, an online food delivery platform, has reported a 230% rise in its losses to Rs 756 crore in fiscal year 2019. In FY2017-18, Foodpanda, owned by ride-hailing major Ola, had registered loss of Rs 227.95 crore.

However, the company’s revenue from operations and other income rose 12.2% to Rs 81.77 crore in FY19 as compared to Rs 72.84 crore in the preceding fiscal.

Foodpanda said, “The online food ordering market is a multi-billion industry and provides ample opportunity of growth. We being an early player in the online food ordering and processing market have a deep understanding of the market dynamics and the revenue and profitability levers,”

Foodpanda’s management is revamping the entire process in order to focus on becoming leaders in food manufacturing and processing.

“To achieve this, we have built state-of-the-art kitchen infrastructure and launched various brands in different segments like shakes, khichdi, biryani, rice bowls and desserts. Our focus this year would be on further improving the customer experience and increasing our market share through a diverse and comprehensive product portfolio,” the company further stated.

Anchal Agarwal, CEO of Tofler, said that Foodpanda's burn rate of Rs 756 crore over Rs 82 crore of revenues is one of the highest among Indian startups.

“The significant increase in expenses from the last year is contributed by discounts provided and delivery charges incurred. It is interesting to note that the company has incurred delivery charges of Rs 267 crore compared to its revenues of Rs 82 crore. The discount expenses were to the tune of Rs 137 crore (that's nearly 1.5x of revenues),” she stated.

Agarwal further added, “Foodpanda's decision to build cloud kitchen brands makes sense in light of the surging expenses the company seems to have incurred in the previous year. They have also infused $100 million in the form of debt in the company.”

Food delivery Pros

Placing orders online proves beneficial to everyone. There are special discounts for new customers or discounts at various restaurants, always going on. A restaurant finder app can easily help you avail of such discounts. Brands and outlets have begun tying up with food delivery and hyperlocal mobile as getting listed on third-party Aggregators has proven very fruitful for them.

Food delivery Cons

There can also be a few obstacles that come in the way of food deliveries. Such startups need tremendous efficiency in order to overcome real-world challenges, meet customer expectations and turn profitable, all the while competing with the in-house delivery expenses of restaurants, which is not very large. Also, many restaurants still seem hesitant to get into this market due to their own valid reasons.

 

UberEats, one of the world’s largest food delivery networks, has launched operations in Cuttack, its second city in Orissa and 45th in India. UberEats will offer Cuttack consumers a variety of cuisines based on partnerships with a number of popular local restaurants such as Mirchi, Biryani Box, DFC Dada's Biryani, Burger Adda Factory, and many more.

Bansi Kotecha, Head of Operations, India and SA, UberEats, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to announce our launch in Cuttack, our second city in Orissa after Bhubaneswar. Over the last few years, the city has grown rapidly providing an impetus to the food service industry. Backed by best in class technology and a robust delivery network, we believe we will positively contribute to the growth of local food businesses in the city as well as give Cuttack foodies easy access to their favourite cuisines and restaurants at the tap of a button.”

UberEats has its own network of delivery partners which helps local restaurants reach new consumers and deliver their food quickly, efficiently and reliably. UberEats offers its delivery partners a flexible and reliable income opportunity on a schedule that works for them, with the freedom to choose the hours they want to work.

Offering a reliable delivery option, UberEats helps restaurants to expand their capacity and reach, to be able to service their existing and new customers more effectively. 

Imtiyaz, Owner of Mirchi Family Restaurant, stated, “We are delighted to partner with one of the leading food delivery platforms like UberEats. We are looking forward to better serving our customers with seamless delivery experience in the comfort of their homes.”

Why is food delivery trending?

In India, food trends are continuously changing with the change in eating habits of the ever-demanding consumers and the new concepts heating up the million-dollar food service industry.

From going to a restaurant over dinner or lunch, people today look out for delivery and getting their favourite food delivered to their doorstep. Similarly, rather than going to the grocery store to buy raw materials first and then cook them, customers can push a button and have their meal delivered in around 30 minutes from some of their favourite restaurants.

Seeking this opportunity not only the aggregators or delivery players who started this trend is betting big on this model but restaurants and food players are also eyeing this as the next ground to invest in.

Pros of food delivery

Placing orders online or on such apps proved beneficial for everyone. There are special discounts for new customers or discounts at various restaurants, always going on. A restaurant finder app can easily help you avail such discounts.

Brands and outlets have also started tying up with food delivery and hyperlocal mobile as getting listed on third-party Aggregators has proven very fruitful for them.

 

Biryani By Kilo has ventured into the Pune market with delivery outlets in the IT-dominated residential and commercial area of Kharadi and Wakad.

The food delivery chain will also launch a dining facility in Wakad. Biryani By Kilo is banking on its serving method to gain customers.

Vishal Jindal Co-Founder of SkyGate Hospitality, the holding company of Biryani by Kilo, said, “The fact that we deliver Biryani in the same handi in which it is cooked means there is no reheating and the customers get the fresh flavorful, authentic, aromatic and complete meal experience.”

Starting its journey in 2015 with one outlet in Gurugram, Biryani By Kilo has grown to over 35 outlets across India in 2019.

The company has secured a Series A funding of $5 million led by IvyCap Ventures in 2019. Biryani By Kilo announced that it will use the freshly-raised capital to aid its geographic presence across West and North India, and for improving its platform, product, and technology.

Popularity of Biryani

India is a diverse country and its cultural diversity can easily be witnessed in its food. One such food is biryani, which is prepared differently in every region. There are over 20 types of biryanis in India, showcasing the craze for this dish in the hearts of the Indian population.

Biryani is considered the antithesis of fast foods. It is mostly preferred on special occasions or in fine dine-ins. However, one might not be surprised to learn that according to some food delivery apps Biryani is among the most popular dish ordered and its demand far surpasses western items. In fact, for fitness freaks and gym-goers, Biryani is their cheat meal.

With foodies showing insatiable love for this royal dish, franchisors serving different varieties of Biryani have forayed into the market.

Franchisors cashing in on the Biryani trend

Indian biryani market has largely been dominated by the unorganised sector & local shops. With the emergence of technology & food delivery platforms, entrepreneurs saw this as an opportunity for catering their services to a large number of audiences.

As per the industry reports, biryani’s dominance is unchallenged in the food ordering sector. In fact, industry estimate puts organised biryani delivery industry at a massive Rs 2500 crore.

Franchisors are cashing in on the trend of this biryani. The major reason for the success of these franchises is the uniqueness of their offerings; each brand has created a niche of its own, which is a contributing factor for success.

For instance, Biryani by Kilo (BBK), as the name suggests, provides biryani not by the plate but by the kilo. BBK is also the only biryani chain to make fresh biryani with every order in individual handis, which takes around 90 minutes to deliver. The brand started as a cloud kitchen and now has more than 1000 outlets. The popularity of BBK shows that customers are even ready to wait for longer to get authentic & delectable biryani.

 

Swiggy is planning to invest Rs 75 crore to add more cloud kitchens in the next six months. Till now, the food delivery major has invested Rs 175 crore over a period of two years to open more than 1,000 cloud kitchens across 14 cities for its restaurant partners through its ‘Swiggy Access’ initiative.

Swiggy’s expansion will largely be in 14-15 additional smaller towns and cities like Guwahati, Tirupur, and Surat. Swiggy Access enables restaurant partners to expand to more locations both within their city and across new cities through cloud kitchens.

Vishal Bhatia, CEO, New Supply, Swiggy, said, “Swiggy Access has helped grow restaurant businesses, deliver unmatched customer experience and created employment opportunities in metros as well as Tier II and III cities.”

“Over the last two years, Swiggy has invested over Rs 175 crores towards setting up and running these kitchens. This success has encouraged us to invest an additional Rs 75 crore to bring more partner cloud kitchens in 12 new cities by March 2020,” he added.

The company has completed more than half a billion orders as of now. At present, Swiggy is operating in over 500 cities across India. It has on-boarded around 1,47,000 restaurants and has more than 2.1 lakh active delivery partners.

Also Read: How You Can Cook The Recipe Of Your Success In A Cloud Kitchen

Through its cloud kitchen initiatives, Swiggy has created more than 8,000 direct and indirect jobs in the restaurant industry over the last two years. The food delivery major is set to add another 7,000 direct and indirect jobs in the restaurant industry in the next six months.

Cloud Kitchen: An Evolving Market

The cloud kitchens are the new game-changers in the market. According to industry estimates, the daily online order volume of food has increased to 15 lakh per day since September 2018, while it was just 3.7 lakh in the same month previous year. The phenomenal growth of online food delivery market has also had a direct impact on the growth of cloud kitchens in India. 

As per the Statista Online Food Delivery report for India, revenue in the online food delivery segment is expected to cross $7 billion in 2019. Food delivery majors like Swiggy and Zomato are constantly targeting to scale up, and cloud kitchens provide the ideal opportunity to do just that.

Bhatia stated, “With the massive growth in online food ordering over the last 2-3 years, India has leapfrogged the widespread in-restaurant dining culture that was prevalent in many international markets. Swiggy has always maintained that cloud kitchens will be the future of food delivery.”

“Very soon, India will have the second-highest number of cloud kitchens in the world, only next to China,” he further added.

Also Read: Cloud Kitchens – F&B Sector Cooks up a New Recipe to Beat High Rental Costs