Support Your Local Food Restaurant and Keep Ordering Food Online During the Holiday’s Lockdown

the_buzz July 7, 2021

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Restaurants and food companies don’t just feed us; they are a part of the fabric of our communities. Our daily spots deliver fun, fellowship and familiarity. Not being able to visit these establishments, to talk with the owners and the staff, to sit down for a while, is a huge loss. And the COVID-19 pandemic has made us feel the impact of their importance to us.

Scrambling to come up with ideas as the crisis progresses, restaurant owners and employees are under immense stress. Operating on notoriously slender profit margins at the best of times—an average of three to five per cent—some restaurants will not recover from this temporary closure. Establishments that could have kept their doors open by switching solely to online take-away and distribution and others sell gift cards, merchandise and pantry boxes.

Food Delivery companies

Ordering online delivery food is an important way to support restaurants in the quest to self-isolate. Restaurants and food companies need our support, and in so doing we reduce the chances of contracting or spreading the virus. Door Dash, for example, offers a contactless delivery service, although customers must ask for it when they position their order. Contactless delivery has become mandatory for all food orders and several businesses have halted payment of cash.

Couriers

Couriers need the work and the income — as gig workers they are not entitled to any of the financial support governments are implementing for workers, and the importance of this demography can’t be highlighted enough, because they are providing an essential service that promotes contactless delivery. That said, we should tip generously when we place an order, considering the distance between one’s home and the restaurant they are ordering from, to supporting their collective efforts in providing an essential service.

Impact of the Gig Economy

The gig economy, although responsible for creating flexible job opportunities for many, carries inherent risks and lacks a social safety net. One of the things we are going to see (once things get back to normal) is depending on the whole gig economy model, it is likely to begin to shift to a more collective, potentially unionized model, and we are going to start witnessing this as well. Customers and couriers may also take action to minimize the risks of distribution, but food delivery companies still have obligations beyond providing the option of contactless delivery and waiving fees. Awareness of how to stay safe during a pandemic is “unbelievably unevenly spread across the population, managers are obliged to be educated and advise their workers on best practices.

As we have seen in parts of China, food couriers have provided a lifeline for millions of people confined to their homes, as well as health professionals battling the disease at the forefront. (Food delivery) becomes essential, when we look at the most vulnerable people in society, whether they are age-related or other risk factors, it will meet a lot of people’s needs.”

Some people have a deep-seated fear of food shortages, and understanding that delivering food is an option that helps to relieve anxiety. There’s a psychological advantage to it, and these days, we cannot take psychological benefits lightly. We need all the psychological advantages that we can get because one of the things that are going on right now is that we don’t know how strong the psychological effects are.

Social Distancing

Social distancing is turning into almost quarantine… and since we’ve never done this on such a large scale before, we don’t know what this is going to be like for a lot of people. There is a clear indication that there will be a lot of difference in how people react to it, but something that takes the edge off, like ordering food, will make it a positive thing.

Much more than mere practicality—a way of transferring food from one place to another—the delivery often acts as a reminder of our everyday rhythms. Restaurants and other food businesses have shaped the fabric of our daily lives. In normal situations, more than half of our meals are eaten away from home.

It’s reassuring to focus on the intangible gifts of restaurants in addition to well-crafted meals. Continuing to support our communities—and couriers—through the delivery of food is an immediate way to show our affection and appreciation from a distance.

Cost-Benefit

Due to the fact that food delivery companies like Door Dash seek to gain traction and increase their market share, they are offering huge discounts. With vouchers offering up to 40% off your purchase, this is a deal you cannot pass up. Furthermore, Door Dash Coupons are available through Slickdeals.net. Slickdeals offers deals, coupons, promo codes, and discounts. Shoppers can also set up deal alerts to get notified of the latest deals. There is also an app available so you can get deals at your fingertips. They have a Slickdeals browser extension that auto applies coupons for you.

So by ordering food online you are not only supporting the local food and restaurant industries around you, but you are also helping the economy to circle and you do your part in stopping the virus spread.