Restaurant delivery service Deliveroo is funding thousands of free meals in participating restaurants for people experiencing homelessness or vulnerability as part of a trial for Pride Month. The company says it will also offer advice and discreet guidance through Akt. Experienced Homelessness Or Vulnerability For Pride Month.
But talk to local restaurateurs and, with one exception, they’re all critical of the firm. They complain that they’re paying excessive commission rates and are at the mercy of Deliveroo’s algorithms for ranking them within its app.
Free meals
Deliveroo is an online food delivery service that connects customers with their favorite local restaurants. It is a popular choice among UK consumers for quick, convenient deliveries to their homes or office. The company also offers a loyalty program, which gives members exclusive restaurant offers that aren’t available to the general public.
Deliveroo has teamed up with the akt charity and LGBTQ+ youth homelessness organization to fund thousands of free meals in participating restaurants. The trial begins this Pride Month in London, Brighton and Bristol at LGBTQ+ restaurants including The Athenian, Club Mexicana, Smashing Plates, Tonkotsu, and Bleecker Burger. Community members experiencing homelessness who say “I’m a friend of Dorothy” or just “Dorothy” before their order will receive a free main meal and additional resources to help them get off the streets.
Deliveroo will raise funds on its website and app to support the initiative.
Akt
As Deliveroo’s business booms, the company has begun offering benefits to its drivers beyond wages. These include online learning courses, a chance to pitch a business idea to investors and access to apprenticeships in its restaurant partners. While these benefits aren’t unusual in the food delivery industry, Deliveroo’s focus on professional development is unique.
Deliveroo is working with the Albert Kennedy Trust (akt) to give away free meals to members of the LGBTQ+ community who are homeless or vulnerable. The trial will take place this Pride month across 10 restaurant sites in London, Brighton and Bristol. When people order at participating restaurants, they will be able to unlock a free main meal by saying “I’m a friend of Dorothy” or simply “Dorothy”.
The initiative comes as Deliveroo is trying to convince the U.K. competition regulator to clear Amazon’s $575 million investment in the firm.
Restaurants taking part
Founded in 2013 by William Shu and Greg Orlowski, Deliveroo is one of the most well-known restaurant delivery services worldwide. The company operates in more than 12 countries, working with over 80,000 restaurants and 60,000 couriers. Its revenue streams include commissions, service fees, subscriptions and on-boarding fees.
The latest funding round includes investments from T. Rowe Price Associates Inc and Fidelity Management & Research Company, as well as existing investors DST Global, General Catalyst, Index Ventures, and Accel Partners. The company intends to use the funds to grow its technology team and expand into new towns, cities and countries.
Restaurants that participate in Deliveroo’s program must pay a commission fee, which ranges from 25-45% of each order. They also pay a fixed share of each zone’s earnings, as well as onboarding fees for menu photography, tablet and online ordering software. In addition, the company may charge a food safety setup and audit fee. The company does not disclose the exact commission structure.
Donations
Deliveroo’s Full Life campaign aims to tackle food insecurity around the world and is a key pillar of the aggregator’s global Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. In Ireland, this includes a year-long partnership with FoodCloud, the food waste and food security social enterprise who recently won Charity of The Year for their work redistributing surplus food from restaurants to local food banks.
Deliveroo customers can support FoodCloud’s mission by rounding up their order to the nearest euro when ordering through the app and donating their extra change.
American Express cardholders can also donate their cashback to food bank charities through the Full Life feature in the app. To do this, they need to opt-in via the Offers tab in the app and have a minimum spend of PS5 per calendar month needs read more hear.
