Food-delivery service Deliveroo Singapore may soon run its own table-service restaurant, a potential first for a delivery app.
The London-based startup, which launched into Singapore in late 2015, will open remote kitchens across the island next year, one of which could evolve into a fast-casual eatery, The Business Times reports.
Known as Deliveroo Editions, these remote kitchens produce food for delivery only. They house multiple restaurant brands under one roof and can quickly make meals on order and access zones where particular restaurants do not have a presence.
Deliveroo unsuccessfully applied for a dine-in permit at its Katong Editions site, its first kitchen, with the concept of a casual-dining food court with an alfresco area where customers could have dishes from any onsite restaurant. Now the company will explore the dine-in concept at its new Editions sites. It will also consider offering pick-up services, allowing customers to place orders through the app then collect their meals from one of the sites.
GM Siddharth Shanker says the new Editions sites are likely to be in the heartlands. “It’s a data-driven bet. The first decision is usually where to open, which depends on restaurants and cuisines already in the area. The second is what restaurants to take on to the site, which will depend on food trends in the area.”
He says that because Editions are designed for delivery only, the average time taken for food to reach customers is 23 minutes, shaving about 10 minutes off Deliveroo’s citywide average delivery time.
The Katong Editions site is home to five restaurants. Each has 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.
Singapore is the first market outside London to have the Deliveroo Editions concept.