The Rise of Delivery: Will it Outpace Dining-In?
Is eating-out under threat? It's hard to miss the plethora of delivery vehicles swarming the streets of London of late, picking up meals from every kind of restaurant and swiftly depositing them at the doorstep of their hungry customers. According to a study, more than half of the adult population of the UK have had food delivered in the last six months, which is around 28.6 million people, showing the huge leaps this market is making. Companies like Deliveroo, Just Eat and upmarket service Supper are becoming the go-to option when deciding to eat out, but actually in, and they're not just bringing food from the takeaway, there are a huge number of mid to high-end, dine-in restaurants getting in on the act.
Phone is still the most popular way to order but use of apps to order takeaway is increasingly common, which fits with what we're seeing in terms of hospitality apps in general, and phones and tablets being used to order food in restaurants, and pay bills.Of course, much of the experience of eating in a restaurant is just that, the experience. The ambience and service can't be recreated in the same way off-site, and while a takeaway, especially from a high-end or favourite restaurant can still be seen as a treat, it doesn't really compare to the real thing.On the other hand, the digital native generation has grown up with instant gratification, everything always available at the touch of a button and while trends move in cycles, is speed and convenience something that can really be reversed?We've spoken to operators and chefs who are designing certain dishes so that they can be plated in boxes without losing too much of the presentation effect, and they've made changes to garnishes and other ingredients to help make sure of this. It does seem somewhat a shame for a painstakingly prepared meal to slosh around in a heated box. Perhaps in a few years menu development will involve a significant aspect of 'how will this look and taste after it's been on the back of a bike?'
So will millennials ensure delivery overtakes eating in-venue? What will venues have to do next to adapt to ever more changes in technology?