Long gone are the days when you had to call into a restaurant to talk with a rude host. Whether you’re talking about having to scream your lungs out just to place a Fajita order through deafening background noise to always being put on hold, ordering food has always never been easy in the past.
Well luckily, that is no longer the case nowadays thanks to some awesome on-demand food delivery service apps. But while this is good news to shoppers and consumers everywhere, the plethora of on-demand food delivery apps can be overwhelming. So, how do you narrow down to the right app for what you need quickly? Here are simple suggestions.
Available Types of Food Delivery Apps
When it comes to food delivery apps, they are grouped into two categories or basic models: platform-to-consumer delivery, and restaurant-to-delivery.
Platform-to-consumer delivery Apps
Platform-to-consumer apps combine order-focused food to deliver services with logistics-focused delivery services. They serve as food aggregator apps where people can check out different menus and compare prices, check out restaurant ratings and reviews, and place orders. By providing the logistics, these delivery marketplaces open new horizons to other food vendors including grocery and specialty food stores.
Mercato is a Perfect Example!
Mercato.com operates a platform that takes advantage of the resurgence in the popularity of food artisans and independent groceries. As more people look to local shops for the baker, the small grocery store, and the fruit salad, Mercato has modernized how people make purchases locally. The app equips high-end grocers with a user-friendly platform of marketing, e-commerce, and service tools that facilitate smooth online ordering and delivery right to your doorstep. The online grocery e-commerce platform hosts over 900 different independent groceries and specialty food stores across the United States.
Restaurant-to-consumer Delivery Apps
Restaurant-to-consumer delivery services are basically what pizza chains have been doing for years. Unlike platform-to-consumer services, restaurant-to-consumer delivery services do not deal with third-parties. Instead, they have their own chefs who prepare all the meals in-house. They also hire their own courier services to do deliveries and offer full-service on-demand food delivery to customers. Some classic examples include Pizza Hut and Dominos.
Comparing the Two
The main difference between the two online food delivery platforms is that platform-to-consumer platforms significantly widen the options available to consumers. This makes it possible for customers to order healthy and elegant options from big, popular vendors as well as from local diners, cafes, independent groceries, and specialty food stores. Perhaps this is one of the main reasons why platform-to-consumer delivery services like Mercato are increasingly witnessing impressive growth at the moment.
Final Thoughts
In summary, if you want to order food online fast you have to consider two things. First, you should consider whether the platform offers variety in such a way that you can do all your shopping for different foods and groceries from different vendors through one platform. Second, you must consider whether you simply want a specific quick meal from a favorite restaurant near you.