Restaurants are empty due to home delivery applications

Don Fox, General Manager of Firehouse of America, noticed something strange a few years ago: during the hottest hours of the day, his sandwich shops were relatively empty, but sales were better than ever . "You should think," God, the case must be pretty bad. "" But the figures have told me a different story. "

People continue to eat food at restaurants, but they're not doing it as before Home Delivery Applications DoorDash, Postmates, GrubHub and UberEats have made ordering easier and changed the way food chains think about their business

The number of food delivery application downloads has grown 380% compared to three years ago, according to market data company App Annie and the research company Cowen, US restaurant sales will increase by an average of 12% annually to $ 76 billion The next four years.

At Firehouse, sales increased by 7% this year , mainly through orders placed online and via home delivery applications, explained Fox, food consumed elsewhere.

"The impact of this dispatch is the biggest change that we've seen it so far, "said Fox, who has worked at Firehouse for 15 years. "We invest where the business goes, that is, off premises." Since January, on-site and office relocation orders have accounted for 60% of Firehouse Subs's revenue.

In July, Firehouse's 1,102 sites replaced some of its tables and chairs with shelves on which you can order for delivery. During the 25-year existence of the Jacksonville, Florida-based chain, Firehouse Subs traditionally rented 2,000 to 2,200 square feet of space for each of its restaurants.

Mr. Fox stated that he did not contemplate a contract. rent over 1800 square feet. "In some cities, where people place orders online and rents are higher, only 1,400 square feet is enough," said Fox.

David Orkin, head of the catering division in the United States. CBRE real estate consulting firm, said that other restaurants also adapted to the reduced number of visitors.

Fast-paced brands like Outback, Carraba and Buffalo Wild Wings are turning to Orkin to find and negotiate restaurant rentals and renovations. Orkin declined to provide specific details on these contracts, but stated that there was a general reduction in the seating capacity in the restaurants because the chains were undergoing less traffic and more shipments by orders online and mobile.

New conservators remove tables and chairs and rent kitchen spaces to prepare food for delivery. These are called cloud kitchens or virtual restaurants because they do not have canteens or guards and sell their meals via the Internet and mobile applications such as DoorDash or UberEats.

Mark Chase, Founder of Restaurant Real Estate Advisors, A group of consultants who help restaurant contractors find space and negotiate leases, said that most of their clients were interested by the business model based solely on cooking. "There is a general reduction in the number of seats and an increase in the number of seats in the kitchen, because people just want to eat at home, on the couch," said Chase.

Even the largest fast-food chains are taking advantage of the opportunity to sell more food through shipping apps. In August, McDonalds, the largest fast food chain in the world, announced that it would invest $ 6 billion in redesigning its restaurants in the United States.

As part of the renovation, many McDonalds restaurants will have reserved parking spaces to receive their orders. made using mobile phones.

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