Ordering food online has exploded in the past two years. It was already on the up before lockdown but now is bigger than ever. It’s a double-edged sword for restaurants. Sure, they get more business, but services like JustEat and Deliveroo take a bit, non-literal, slice of the pie. Flipdish has been the big alternative, empowering restaurants to have a direct online connection to their customers. Now, Flipdish has launched a new platform called StraightFrom.com, letting you browse all the restaurants in your area that deliver to you direct.
The Online Problem For Irish Restaurants
When you order your favourite takeaway on Deliveroo or JustEat, there are a lot more people that have to be paid. The margins in restaurants are quite tight, so this poses a problem. Deliveroo and JustEat take a cut from your order, the delivery rider needs to be paid and then there are all the usual costs of running a restaurant too. Basically, it all ends up costing the restaurant quite a lot and slashes the profits.
Quite a few restaurants in my area have launched their own apps. Spots like Two Pups let me place an order for pickup while PI delivers some of the best pizza in town. If I just looked at Deliveroo, I’d miss these incredible local spots. And that happens a lot.
Aggregators like Deliveroo, JustEat and UberEats are incredibly popular. Since the pandemic began alone, these aggregators in Ireland have taken an estimated €1.2bn in revenue. A painful number for Irish restaurants to see is the €270m in total commissions brought in by these aggregators. This is all money that can in some part be clawed back by building direct relationships with customers using services like Flipdish.
When you can, try to buy your dinner treat directly from a restaurant. But how are you supposed to find them? That’s where Straight From comes in.
Finding Local Takeaways Without The Apps
StraightFrom.com is a new non-profit founded by Flipdish. Naturally, it’s a bit self-serving for Flipdish, but that doesn’t take away from how useful it is. Also, it’s really important to note that the platform is open to all restaurants and takeaways free of charge regardless if they’re a Flipdish customer or not. It’s hoped that this will act as an alternative to food marketplaces, which continue to charge high fees to those in the hospitality sector.
The StraightFrom.com website lets you find your favourite local restaurants that have snubbed the well-known aggregators. I’ve looked and found some of my absolutely all-time favourite spots in Dublin on there. You can find restaurants that deliver or filter by the ones that will get you a week’s walk and some fresh air too for pick-up. This website somewhat unlocks a world of new cafes and restaurants that other food marketplaces have missed.
This website unlocks a world of new cafes and restaurants
Basically, all I’m saying is give it a go. If you’re going to order on Deliveroo, don’t feel bad and enjoy your meal. I’m a Deliveroo Premium customer so I won’t be giving it up. But I will be checking out StraightFrom.com before my order in future to see if I can order directly from a restaurant, which is usually cheaper with fewer fees, than ordering on Deliveroo.