[extrapickles]

It would have to be from a commercial kitchen to pass health regulations in most places. There are a few restaurants than share kitchens with the one next door, and I would not be surprised if they had a virtual restaurant or two for delivery only.

No reason that the kitchens that food trucks use can’t support this as I suspect they dont have much demand for space around 5pm.

[Forge36]

I agree with your point on kitchen sharing, but I'm wondering if we sharing an incorre assumption:

should we expect that the laws will be followed? Policing unlicensed taxis _should_ have prevented Uber from succeeding. I recall early Uber being a considered "ride-sharing" in attempt to avoid this problem.

How will unlicensed restaurants be enforced? Will people simply call the practice food-sharing or splitting-meals? Start from the same model: two friends living across the city but one didn't cook, the other makes large meals. Uber meals is just a delivery service. Combine with money transfer app: it's not a restaurant, is a group of friends pitching in for a good meal.

Uber successfully managed to get driver's to assume the risk when running unlicensed taxis. It wouldn't surprise me if they could reimagine that success here. The biggest hurdle I foresee: keeping the branding, and scale small enough to fly under the radar until it's well established

[extrapickles]

There are a few places that stay under the radar, but generally they don’t heavily promote the food side of the “experience”, and aim their businesses at non-locals who would be less likely to report them if they are not perfectly happy.

Another problem is that health laws are generally stronger and better enforced than taxi law. See [0] for the definition of a Food Establishment for Washington State. Also there are generally tip lines for reporting restaurants and it only takes 1 person to have a bad experience to shut down a location.

[0]: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-215-01115

[prostoalex]

> How will unlicensed restaurants be enforced?

One story about a dead cockroach or rat feces making into a meal will let market forces take care of it. The story doesn’t even have to be true.

[reaperducer]

One story about a dead cockroach or rat feces making into a meal will let market forces take care of it. The story doesn’t even have to be true.

On the other hand, it's a virtual restaurant. So all you have to do is pay some kid on Fivrr five bucks for a new logo with a different name, and you're back in business!

[petra]

If you sell food without a license, in some states you could go in jail.

So it's pretty different from getting a fine which UBER pays.

[dawnerd]

In Portland damn near every food cart is on some delivery platform. It’s actually made ordering from some of my favorite spots almost impossible in person since their order volume is just too high.