In April last year, food delivery giant Deliveroo launched its second Editions site in CT Hub 2 at Lavender, following its first site at Katong in 2017.
Yesterday (March 11), Deliveroo launched its third site in Singapore — which is also the biggest globally — at ALICE@Mediapolis.
Called Deliveroo Food Market, this new space is seen as an “upgraded version” of Deliveroo Editions. It builds on the concept of delivery-only kitchens to add a fully-automated dining experience for consumers.
This is done in collaboration with eatsa, a San Francisco-based technology automation company, marking their first foray in Asia.
“The restaurant industry is evolving to accommodate today’s on-demand consumers. We’re thrilled Deliveroo has selected our technology platform to realise their vision of delivering the best customer experience in the world,” said Tim Young, CEO of eatsa.
“Together, we’re ushering in new, unique, efficient ways for people to get their next meal.”
11 Food Concepts Under One Roof
Spanning over 3,000 square feet, Deliveroo Food Market houses 10 kitchens and a dining space that can accommodate 40 people, making it the “largest dining site globally for Deliveroo”.
Besides the (bigger) dining space, what’s unique about this third Editions site is that it has a dedicated waiting area for riders to rest and recharge while food is being prepared.
It’s also home to 7 restaurants with a total of 11 food concepts that include a diverse range of cuisines such as Japanese, Korean, Greek, Western and Vietnamese.
The restaurant partners are namely Bonchon, Rasa Rasa, The Flying Squirrel, Chop Shop, Delismith, Ezo Hokkaido Eats, Omakase Burger, Comnam by NamNam, NamNam, Lucky Souvlaki, and VIOS.
The dining space also features a cafe called Nineteen95 Espresso Bar for consumers to get their caffeine fix.
Besides VIOS, the rest are new additions to Deliveroo Editions. While this list is pretty much fixed, Deliveroo says that they are definitely open to expanding the list in the near future.
Do also note that while Rasa Rasa is typically Halal for all its Singapore outlets, it is not Halal-certified here.
According to Deliveroo, the requirements to apply for Halal certification for a central kitchen is “different and difficult” compared to a restaurant. As such, they have no plans to introduce any Halal brands to Editions for now.
Meanwhile, Chop Shop and Delismith are “virtual brands” helmed by Potluck Club. They don’t have a brick-and-mortar outlet, so the Deliveroo Food Market serves as a testbed for them to trial their menu.
This delivery-only concept offers them a platform to grow their business and take their menus to a new location without having to incur the huge upfront costs of fitting and opening a physical restaurant space.
“Deliveroo Food Market has low overheads, and it [serves as a] good exposure to get our brand and concept out,” said a spokesperson from the Potluck Club.
According to Deliveroo, their list of restaurant partners has been carefully curated based on user demand and ordering patterns by consumers in the area.
“It’s all about demand and supply. We want to fill in the gaps of what customers are searching for in the area, and supply beyond what’s already available to provide diverse options. Since the Deliveroo Food Market is located in a commercial setting, we figured that food like grain bowls (from Chop Shop) and sandwiches (from Delismith) will be a favourite go-to,” said a Deliveroo representative.
It’s clear that this new space is targeted at offices and professionals in the one-north area, and the available plug points and wi-fi access will definitely serve as a huge draw for this crowd.
Just Tap To Order, Pay And Self-Collect Your Food
Deliveroo has gone full swing on technology with its new Food Market, promising to give customers “a taste of dining in the future”.
Self-serve kiosks and automated digital cubbies from eatsa power the order and pick-up process, making the entire experience easy, seamless and fuss-free for both customers and restaurants.
Customers have to first place and pay for their orders from any one of the 5 self-serve kiosks onsite, which is reminiscent of those commonly seen at fast food restaurants like McDonald’s.
According to Deliveroo, the average waiting time is around 8 minutes.
Once the food is ready, customers will see their name and the number of their assigned cubby on the digital status board.
To collect the food, customers have to tap twice on the ‘door’ of the cubby for it to unfold.
Since Deliveroo Food Market is very focused on self-service, customers are also encouraged to clear their own trays. Otherwise, the small number of Deliveroo staff onsite will help clean and clear the tables.
“We are committed to growth in Singapore and Deliveroo Food Market at Alice@Mediapolis is our biggest and most innovative site yet, with self-serve kiosks and digital cubbies making the order and pick-up process much more efficient for both customers and restaurants,” said Siddharth Shanker, General Manager of Deliveroo Singapore.
“As a company, we are all about food and believe in investing in the latest technology to provide the best experience for all customers, whether they choose to dine in or have food delivered to their doorsteps.”
Do note that the Deliveroo Food Market is only open for dining during lunch (11am to 2.30pm) and dinner (4.30pm to 9.30pm) hours.
However, customers can still order in via delivery from Editions until 10pm.
Address:
Deliveroo Food Market
29 Media Circle, #01-02/03
Singapore 138565
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Featured Image Credit: Deliveroo