The Rise of Food Delivery

The pandemic has created a need for people to limit their social activity and stay home as much as possible. This social distancing includes eliminating visits to a local restaurant with family and friends. This has greatly damaged the restaurant industry and has caused many to close their doors, possibly forever.

Fortunately, there were already steps being taken to expand the food delivery service. This established system provided help for many restaurants to stay afloat in the current pandemic situation everyone is facing. As these delivery services expand, there is a hope that more restaurants can be saved by offering delivery options, at least until the pandemic has subsided.

Food Delivery Apps

In the past few years, there have been a growing number of food delivery services available from a simple app on a person’s cell phone. To get customers to try these services, they would offer a variety of promotions, such as free delivery or $45 off at DoorDash. This enticed many users to sign up and try the service at a discount.

These food delivery apps partner with many restaurants in the community to offer their menu for delivery. Sit-down restaurants and even fast-food chains offered their meals through a variety of these providers to allow users to enjoy the restaurant’s food without leaving the comfort of their home. Many people signed up and used the services occasionally.

The Pandemic

When the pandemic hit, people were asked to stay home. Even still today, some areas still maintain their lockdowns or strongly encourage citizens to avoid going out when possible. Many areas still impose strong restrictions on indoor dining and other indoor activities.

Many restaurants had to adapt or face closing permanently. Some restaurants offered pick-up services. Some even offered delivery on their own. However, many took part in the already established food delivery app services. This provided a means to deliver their food without setting up the infrastructure needed to do so.

Although still a struggle for many restaurants, the already established delivery services helped to keep them afloat during this difficult time. Now, people can get their favorite sit down restaurant or fast food options without risking breaking social distancing guidelines.

Benefits for Customers

The closing of restaurants was a major challenge for many individuals as well as restaurant owners. There are some people who simply enjoy the ease of getting their food prepared for them. There are some people that work too much to prepare meals every day. And there are even some people that are unable to cook for themselves. Restaurant closures had a serious impact on their lives.

No longer are customers limited in what they can order from delivery. With the rise of food delivery service, they can choose from a variety of restaurants that they would normally enjoy before the pandemic. Many people also feel as though they are helping their local restaurant owners by ordering their favorite items from home.

Growth in the Service

The greatest benefit of this has been the boost to food delivery service providers. Not only have they exponentially increased their growth due to the pandemic, but they have also completely altered their key demographic.

Before the pandemic, it was usually those under 35 who utilized the app and ordered food from their smartphone. In the age of the pandemic, more people from all age groups are ordering from these popular apps. Even those over 65 have greatly increased their usage.

Although there may be a shift back when the pandemic ends, it is unlikely that the delivery services will face much loss. These services provide a convenience that customers really enjoy.