The novel coronavirus has caused a major upheaval in everyone’s lives. During the lockdown, staying home to contain the spread of COVID-19 has compelled most of us to forgo our usual lifestyle patterns. From visiting the malls for a shopping spree, eating a delicious meal at your favourite restaurants, to going clubbing on a Saturday night — a return to normalcy feels like a distant dream. However, our primal instincts ensure that our food cravings will never cease to exist. In light of changing regulations and the general way of life, food delivery from cloud kitchens and restaurants is offering consumers much-needed comfort during these rough times. Online food and grocery delivery have become a lifeline on which people have come to depend on this pandemic.
As we navigate ‘Unlock 1.0’, heading out has become possible, but minimising touchpoints continues to remain a priority. While bars, pubs, and restaurants are opening up the world over, a sharp increase in COVID numbers in India is instilling fear in the minds of people about stepping out for a meal or otherwise.
Typical hesitations on stepping out include: Is it safe? How will hygiene be maintained? How will touchpoints be minimised? What are the safety standards? Will social distancing be maintained? As the food and beverage industry grapples to address these concerns, restaurant owners and food entrepreneurs are now looking to food delivery as a viable alternative. Indeed, cloud kitchens or dark kitchens are mushrooming in different parts of the country to help restore operations and provide takeaway and delivery services for customers. Food delivery seems to be a silver lining during this time for F&B players, and is likely to grow considerably in the foreseeable future.
While many of us have explored our culinary skills during the lockdown, who doesn’t crave a ready meal from their favourite restaurants without going through the trouble of cooking one? From sushi to bao, duck roll to butter chicken or an indulgent fudgy chocolate lava cake — the joy of receiving these at your doorstep is hard to describe in words. Needless to say, as compared with eating in a restaurant, ordering food at home minimises touchpoints. No need for shared silverware, no need to touch door handles or exposed surfaces, and no need to interact in a public setting. Provided the delivery or cloud kitchen maintains the highest standards of hygiene, the customer experience — from delivery to payments — is contactless.
Cloud kitchens like Smart Kitchen Company are taking conscious steps to ensure safety and hygiene in their kitchens. For instance, regular cleaning of kitchen floors, surfaces, doorknobs, kitchen equipment, and common spaces such as restrooms is carried out. A proper system of ventilation using air ducts and vents is maintained through the working hours, and food supplies and packing materials are kept separate to avoid any cross-communication. Hygiene and sanitisation of food delivery are maintained at three levels — the staff, the customer, and packaging. Keeping in mind strict sanitation & hygiene guidelines issued by the WHO, the staff’s body temperature is checked, and gloves and masks are worn at all times. To ensure customer safety, food delivery in Delhi is done through contactless & cashless means. OTPs are generated to ensure the food Is delivered without physical verification. Furthermore, every package is sanitised before it gets delivered to the customer. Visibly, the risk involved with food delivery is far less than that of heading out.
They say life goes on, and yes, we need to learn to live with COVID 19. Having said that, calling people over selectively instead of heading out to a crowded place such as a mall or market is always a good idea. And yes, this is when we say, ‘Thank God for good food delivery in Delhi!’. To satiate your appetite with the comfort of lip-smacking food at your doorstep. Let’s get ordering!
