Home delivery orders increase by nearly 25% during heavy rains in the city

City-based restauranteur Nikhil Moturi said, “The demand for home delivery went up by almost 25 % on Sunday, when it was raining heavily. We usually get 5 to 6 orders for delivery but when that day, we got almost 30 orders.” Vipin Sachdev, who runs Subway outlets and Tuscana Pizzeria, says that the delivery orders may go even higher. “Sometimes, home delivery requests are as high as 40 to 50 percent on some days —not just during the rains but also if there is a cricket match,” he pointed out. Not just restaurants and fast food chains but also independent caterers are facing this demand. Farida, who runs the Al-Mulla catering services with her husband Nadeem, said, “We have extra delivery boys to handle this demand.”

Logistical nightmare With the rainy season ahead, many outlets are gearing up to deal with the increasing demand for home delivery. However, with flooded the rains, the logistics of delivering food becomes an uphill task, say restauranteurs. Nikhil added that he often informed customers that the delivery time would increase. “Home delivery during rains takes a longer time. So, we tell the customer in advance that their order will be delayed beyond the usual delivery time. We don’t want our customers to have unrealistic expectations and create a social media crisis,” he explained.

Vipin said the service staff sometimes double up as delivery boys. “When the footfalls in the restaurant reduce, some of our waiters take up delivery. When we fall short of vehicles, the staff sometimes use their personal bikes. The staff is happy to go out as they get additional tips on delivery,” he noted. Habeeb, one of the members of the management team at Kebab Street, a stand-alone restaurant, said they employed extra workforce to deal with the increase in orders. “On rainy days, when delivery orders are high, we have extra delivery boys. The challenge is not only to deliver within a reasonable time but also ensure that the food doesn’t get wet,” he said.