How Delivery Apps Are Supporting Restaurants During Pandemic

With working from home and social distancing quickly redefining our sense of normalcy in day-to-day life, consumers have begun to re-think their approach to food – including grocery shopping, meal planning, and being able to enjoy their favourite restaurant foods. As restaurants slowly pivot to take-out only operations, the convenience of delivery becomes an increasingly attractive option for guests to not only avoid crowded grocery stores, but to also still enjoy a special meal in the comfort of their own homes.

To widen your reach and be found where your guests are looking, ensure your restaurants are taking advantage of the resources these delivery partner apps are offering across Canada during this time:

As the biggest delivery partner in Canada, SkipTheDishes has a network of over 100 cities across the country comprising of independents and chain restaurants. Customers can track order status and enjoy different promotions, while operators can manage individual order details, prioritize workflow, and view couriers in real-time through their system. To combat health safety concerns in current times, the app has suspended all cash payment options and is offering contactless delivery to avoid unnecessary exposure and promote safety guidelines, as per the WHO guidelines. A full list of their policies regarding health safety and related FAQs can be found here.

Feature your restaurant on this app and Uber promises that they  will get it to your customer within 30 minutes. 

To bring relief to operators during the coronavirus pandemic, Uber Eats has waived all delivery fees for independent restaurant owners. They’re also taking steps to offer "daily dedicated, targeted marketing campaigns — both in-app and via email —  to promote delivery from local restaurants, especially those that are new to the app." To combat food safety concerns, the app is also offering contactless delivery for customers, and exclusive COVID-19 Resources and Updates for all drivers to ensure safe deliveries take place. For a detailed look of Uber’s commitment and new policies related to food safety, check out their website here.

Feature your restaurant on this popular app and it allows customers to search by flavour, price or delivery speed. DoorDash offers a robust QSR chain delivery offering in Canada, including McDonalds, A&W, Wendy’s, and Burger King.

Similar to other delivery partners, DoorDash is now completely defaulting to a no-contact delivery system for consumers to rest assured of minimal interaction and maximum health safety. To financially support operators at this time, DoorDash is introducing a variety of merchant support initiatives - independent owners can sign up for the app for free and pay zero commission for 30 days, all existing partners will pay no commission fees on pickup, more than 100,000 independents will be added to DashPass to boost sales for free, and $20 million has been committed by the company towards merchant marketing programs. They’re also currently in the process of shipping out sanitation supplies, including gloves, sanitizer, and wipes, to all participating drivers, and offering financial assistance to drivers who cannot work due to health reasons. For a detailed look at their robust assistance plan, check out their website here.

Foodora works with local restaurants to provide a trusted delivery service with riders delivering via bicycle. The app partners both with independents and local chains, and even has a special partnership with LCBO in Ontario to deliver alcoholic beverages. To promote safety at this time, Foodora is offering customers the option of adding special instructions for their deliveries (such as riders leaving their orders in the lobby), and promoting Health Canada’s guidelines in their practices. Foodora has also set up their own internal committee to continuously review and advise internal processes to ensure healthy practices for their couriers and customers both – “Our teams have already issued a series of informed measures, including work-travel restrictions to affected regions and a work-from-home policy for those who’ve travelled recently to areas with outbreaks”, says spokesperson Sadie Weinstein in an e-mailed statement to the Canadian Press.