London-based food delivery startup Deliveroo, might soon expand its business and operate a dine-in restaurant in Singapore.
This means that instead of delivering food to customers to their doorsteps, we can soon expect Deliveroo to serve food to customers at their tables.
According to The Business Times, the startup will be opening new remote kitchens nationwide next year, one of which could evolve to become a fast casual eatery.
The First ‘Deliveroo Editions’ In Katong
Earlier in August this year, Deliveroo opened a kitchen space – its first and only – called ‘Deliveroo Editions’ at 322 Tanjong Katong Road.
The Katong Editions site, which houses six kitchens, allow chefs from selected restaurants to whip up meals on-site.
Deliveroo provides the cooking equipment and storage facilities, in addition to its fleet of riders for delivery.
Currently, it is home to five restaurants, including zi char restaurant New Ubin Seafood, Greek restaurant Blu Kouzina, and raw fish salad restaurant Aloha Poké.
Each restaurant gets its own kitchen and pays zero rent or utility fees. Instead, they pay a cut of their revenues to Deliveroo in exchange for using the space.
To put things into perspective, ‘Deliveroo Editions’, are “delivery-only” kitchens that house multiple brands under one roof.
This allows them to quickly make meals upon order on-site, and expands the range of food available for delivery as customers can usually order only from nearby restaurants.
Deliveroo Will Soon Operate As A Dine-In Restaurant?
BT reported that Deliveroo had applied for a dine-in permit at its Katong Editions site, but to no avail.
Although it has no tentative plans to reapply for the permit, it will still explore the dine-in concept at its new Editions site, which is likely to be located in the heartlands.
When that happens, you can think of Deliveroo as a casual dining food court, where customers can sit down and enjoy food by any of the partnering restaurants.
It is also looking at offering pick-up services at its new sites, so customers can simply order food via the app and self-collect their food on-site.
If they opt for food delivery, they can be assured of faster delivery times.
Siddarth Shanker, general manager of Deliveroo Singapore, explained that because Editions are designed for food delivery only, the average time taken for food to reach customers from an Editions site is just 23 minutes.
This is much faster compared to Deliveroo’s nationwide average delivery time of 33 minutes, he added.
He also thinks that this new service is a win-win, benefiting both the restaurant and customers.
“It’s fantastic for restaurants as they can address new audiences. It’s good for consumers as they previously would not have access to these restaurants, and for riders because despatch becomes more efficient,” he told BT.
Successful Trials In Britain
Singapore is the first market outside London to roll out Deliveroo’s Editions concept, after “successful trials” in Britain.
According to Mr Shanker, Deliveroo is investing heavily in its Editions site, as it enables them to “expand the delivery zones of high-perfoming restaurants, reduce their operating costs, and make deliveries even quicker.”
“This will also give more consumers access to the brands and food they love.”
By the end of this year, Deliveroo Editions will also launch in Dubai, the Netherlands, France, Australia and Hong Kong.
This initiative is part of the brand’s global expansion plans after it received a boost of £220 million (S$384 million) in investment last year.
Featured Image Credit: Deliveroo
