Given all the changes and restrictions we’ve experienced in 2020, everyone has had to find new ways to get their daily essentials. Food is arguably the most critical item we’ve needed to procure.
With so many people stuck at home due to lockdowns, meal deliveries and ‘ordering in’ have surged. Thankfully, technology and several innovative business ideas make it easy to get food and groceries delivered.
This article explores the options available and shares a few smart ways eateries have adapted to serve their local communities. We’ll also look into how you can have your food delivered safely.
Traditional Take-out Re-routed
Eating out is no longer on the menu if we want to enjoy a meal. COVID-19 and social distancing practices forced most traditional restaurants to close their doors. Sadly, many have not survived and have shuttered forever.
Others have cleverly reinvented the way they do business. Even before the pandemic, global online food delivery market research in 2019 reported a spike in orders. Online delivery service users grew due to convenience, availability, variety, and viability as a cost-effective meal solution.
Apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and GrubHub responded to the crisis and became mobile musts to get meals. Some also saw the pressing need diversify and added other essential consumables to their rage.
In 2020 this curve will undoubtedly grow as patrons are still compelled to eat in. It’s also been an aid for those in quarantine who can’t leave their homes, and even a valuable lifeline for essential workers to refuel as they battle the pandemic.
One of the significant benefits of online food has been that it promotes contactless transactions. Plus, it supports social distancing when drivers receive training.
Except for wearing masks and using sanitizer before and after every delivery, food delivery has continued almost as usual. This novel way of receiving food has exploded in popularity these days, and the signs all point toward it being the primary way we satiate our hunger in the future.
Novel Ideas
Other businesses are also harnessing Innovation and new ideas to survive. Traditional brick-and-mortar establishments who utilize technology and digitization are saving themselves from extinction.
They further managed to retain their staff and keep them employed. This has a significant economic impact, specifically for the front of house staff.
Some eat-in only restaurants now offer a limited or adjusted menu for delivery. Their waiters have become drivers to help them weather the storm. This tweak to the business model has helped some eateries survive.
Several delivery services have partnered with non-food outlets to provide groceries and other items like cleaning products. A few of these fresh popular ideas include:
Bulk Ready-Made Meals
Some dishes just don’t work that well as takeout. The solution is a bulk meal option that feeds an entire family. Some entrepreneurs are even making a range of meals for the week ahead that can be refrigerated or frozen and which you can enjoy anytime.
Meal Kits
To keep the hands-on feeling of preparing a meal, some restaurants break down their dishes. After, they deliver the ingredients as well as the recipe with easy to follow steps.
This solution solves meal timing concerns, is ideal for people who love to get creative, and results in the perfect food temperature. Social media influencers are staging live cook-along demos with chefs for that extra personal touch.
Supplier Support
Some restaurants carry massive levels of stock. To enable them to pay their supplier bills, they’re getting creative by offering some of their goods to consumers directly at competitive prices.
Throw in a bit of smart marketing, such as promoting it as “restaurant-quality ingredients,” and mix it with the novelty of purchasing items like cured meats or extraordinary cheeses. The result is a perfect recipe to bring in money while avoiding waste.
Community Involvement
Many people are suffering as a result of the pandemic. Some food providers are taking community involvement to the next level, with donation options added to some delivery options.
Several global apps and companies are also donating time and money towards causes that run feeding schemes.
Safer Foods
During times of crisis, best practice is often highlighted and better enforced. The pandemic has made everyone hyper-aware of the importance of washing hands, especially before eating.
Personal space protection and sanitizing have gone to the next level too. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of food safety and how it’s handled by kitchen staff and delivery services.
The consensus is that food left at a safe distance at the door is the best idea. Most mobile delivery apps or online options don’t make you handle cash either. Plus, online options include the service fee, and you can even add a tip when you conclude the transaction.
We recommend that you stick to establishments you know and trust. Ideally, you should order healthier options, packed with nutrients and foods that boost your immune system.
Be mindful of ordering food from someone who cooks at home and offers to deliver it too.
This may not be the best time to try a start-up without proven health and safety practices in place.
Final Thoughts
Modern technology and digital options make it easy to have food delivered to your doorstep. The pandemic has forced several meal providers to innovate and adapt, and they’ve done so with customer and staff safety in mind.
As long as you remain sensible about washing your hands, keeping your distance, and thinking about where you’re ordering from, obtaining food during a pandemic is clearly not as tricky as it was in past ages.
