[ghaff]

I'm not sure I even understand what the network effects are here. I guess there are some potential efficiencies with having a single delivery company that handles deliveries rather than individual restaurants but it seems like a stretch. People I know who live in cities tend to just have a stack of take-out pizza/Chinese food/etc. menus for places that deliver (or not). Maybe I'm missing something but it doesn't really seem like an area that's crying out for "disruption."

[fnovd]

Using DoorDash or UberEats as your delivery service instead of building your delivery staff in-house is like using AWS or DO instead of building your own in-house ops team. Since most delivery workflows are pretty much identical (go to restaurant, pick up food, deliver food), it seems like any restaurant other than a "typical delivery" place would benefit from using someone else's infrastructure.

[ghaff]

Except that "building your delivery staff in-house" more or less consists of hiring some teenagers to work for tips. It's not exactly architecting a datacenter. Furthermore, delivery is going to inherently be a local business even if you're a nationwide company.

I actually do think that there's something to be said for having a standardized service that a restaurant already offering take out can just sign up for. Maybe delivery is something they just never got around to offering. It just seems like a service that's hard to do well at a price people are willing to pay.

[capsulecorp]

Maybe its where you live? I live in Las Vegas, and with the 24 lifestyle that often includes drinking, these services have absolutely blown up out here. Granted its a pretty special case in terms of city density coupled with a larger than normal group of restaurants that are open late or 24 hours. That and the 215 beltway makes it so even if someone wants something from across town its not much of a hassle (lest its during rush hours obviously). I always wondered if it was the same in other cities, I just don't see it as sustainable without the 24 hour life style and the city density.

[ghaff]

It's fair that there's been an increased expectation of near-immediate gratification. As a result, although a fair number of restaurants in cities have long offered delivery, it's not clear that ad hoc delivery on a restaurant-by-restaurant basis necessarily scales to this new world.

It will probably vary by location though. I live about 40 miles out of Boston and adjacent to a couple smaller cities. I have basically no food delivery options.

[seizethecheese]

Restaurant delivery people will be utilized 50% (trip there and back). If the network effect can do better than that, then there's a business.

[wuliwong]

I'll see your anecdote and call with mine: I live in Atlanta and I can't think of a single person that doesn't use some app to order delivery anymore. Do you live in a city or just know people who live in cities.