The Best Food-Delivery Concepts In Delhi
With Covid-19 back in full swing, it is time we buckled in and stayed home. However, that should not deter us from doing our bit for the economy. Many restaurants, barely recovering from last year’s lockdown, have swiftly remodelled their delivery norms or initiated concept-based food delivery services to entice customers. Everything Experiential investigates the best delivery models on offer in Delhi:
BUTTER DELIVERY
This delivery-only brand, opened by famed restaurateur Zorawar Kalra, is an ode to everything Butter. With a short menu comprising only 10 dishes, it claims to serve the best butter chicken, dal makhani, paneer makhani and a special version of tandoori chicken made with butter. This is based on the principle that Indians may like to see variety, but order the same 10 dishes from the menu every time – those that are unapologetically high on taste and calories!
Extra care is taken on the hygiene front with infrared treatment of all food items before service, and temperature checks of employees and patrons. The packaging used is environmentally friendly, made from paper craft material and corn starch material. Tying up with third party delivery vendors has been key to maximising their reach, but they are also in the final stages of putting together their own delivery fleet.
Claiming that cloud kitchens are here to stay, Kalra says, “setting up costs and overheads are less for any cloud kitchen as compared to a physical restaurant. While each has its own distinct advantages, a delivery model could fetch great returns if the product is right and marketed well.”
KAMPAI AND MAI BAO
Both Kampai and Mai Bao promise authentic Asian flavours – Japanese for the former and Singaporean for the latter – made with the highest quality ingredients, under the guidance of master chefs. They stay true to their own high standards, by refusing to switch to cheaper ingredients and retaining the loyalty of their staff to ensure the standard of service remains high.
Enforcing a strict safety and hygiene policy, the team behind these restaurants ensures regular sanitising, temperature checks of all employees at periodic intervals, and insisting on gloves and face masks while cooking, packing and delivering food, as par for the course.
Their delivery menu is slightly different from the dine-in menu, as it does not offer certain dishes best enjoyed in person. When asked if the delivery model provides the same monetary returns as physical dining, Founder Avantika Sinha Bahl replies in the negative. “No, dining is all about the experience, and while deliveries are a big part of business, the experience that we build in our restaurants cannot be recreated at home. Also, liquor contributes a significant amount to the sale, which only happens in restaurants.”
5 SENSES DELIVERY BOX BY DARYAGANJ
Daryaganj, founded by Amit Bagga and Raghav Jaggi, is an attempt to revive the secret recipes of the latter’s grandfather - Late Mr Kundan Lal Jaggi, known as the inventor of staple North Indian dishes like butter chicken and dal makhani. Their 5 Senses Delivery Box, offers a specialised experience of dining from the comfort of one’s home.
Safety and hygiene are of utmost importance as the staff follows all safety protocols like frequent sanitization, social distancing, regular thermal checks, use of masks and gloves and regular checking through Aarogya Setu. They are also particular about using three layers of packaging to keep the food safe. The delivery model provides them extra revenue while allowing them to utilise their kitchen capacity.
Speaking about their unique delivery box, co-founder Amit Bagga says, “the dine-in experience is a blend of the experience that we enjoy subconsciously through our five senses. It involves the taste of the food, the fragrance at the restaurant, soothing music in the background, the touch and feel of the crockery and the look of vibrant interiors. We evaluated this aspect and concluded this was the reason that food delivery could never recreate the physical dine-in experience. So, we began working on a concept which could include all 5 senses and introduced our ‘5 Senses Delivery Box’.”
NUKKAD ON WHEELS
After running three successful brands - 1 Oak, Nukkad and We Qutub, Founder Kanishk Tuteja decided to introduce a new delivery model called Nukkad on Wheels (NOW). The idea was to serve mouth-watering delicacies including Delhi’s street food favourites, North Indian Fusion and Punjabi Chinese, to one’s doorstep. With an all-night delivery model, NOW promises to fulfil your midnight cravings. Their range of food items includes palak patta chaat, masala pav bhaji, railway vegetarian cutlets, mushroom galouti, cheezy butter chicken croquettes, among others.
Their strict safety and hygiene policy coupled with high standards of ensuring quality checks for food, have helped them overcome the challenges of the pandemic. Tying up with third-party aggregators allows them to access more customers for their delivery menu as well.
Tuteja believes the delivery model does not provide the same monetary returns as in-person dining, as he claims, “dining is on ground experience where one keeps ordering, because they enjoy the overall experience, whereas delivery is limited to ordering food at home on an a la carte basis. However, one must innovate to address new circumstances and that is why we launched NOW.”
_20240524123450original_image_50.webp)
