Deliveroo Are Going Down the Pub (Route)

Delivery giant Deliveroo have made their next move. After a trial run that began in the summer the brand have announced that they will deliver from restaurants to pubs that do not typically serve food, or where the F in F&B does not account for a majority of that establishment’s revenue.

This summer in the UK Deliveroo began a trial — across 20 venues — part of what they call a “campaign to support Britain's pubs, by promoting Deliveroo as food option patrons can enjoy whilst visiting their local.” This is, of course, also a way in which the brand can make more money and unlocks a major new market for the delivery of food.

“We're exploring several partnerships across the UK with pubs and bars that don't have kitchens, allowing patrons to order in Deliveroo to the pub,” they announced. It is thought they will begin a more expansive roll-out in 2018 now that, as MCA reported, they have completed their final round of funding (£74 million), closing the series having raised a total of £365 million.

Live music venue and pilot for the initiative, The Shed in Leiecester, now accepts orders via Deliveroo riders, for the simple reason that the venue does not have its own kitchen. Elisabeth Barker-Carley, owner of The Shed, said “A lot of people have the perception that ordering in means staying in, and I want to shift that perception. I’d love for people to come by the bar after work, take advantage of our happy hour offers and have a really sociable meal too.”

The delivery brand say it began after they “saw Deliveroo becoming an increasingly popular option to order at establishments such as The Faltering Fullback [which does already serve Thai food on the premises] in London.” They’ve now set up partnerships with several pubs and bars across the UK, “offering the establishments access to Deliveroo branded items to help prompt visitors to order food.” Tent cards, window stickers and other merch.

This is not entirely new territory for the brand. Deliveroo are moved, in the same announcement, to talk up how good food in pubs can be, saying “In the last decade, many pubs across the UK have become synonymous with great British cuisine...” which is why, they add, they are “working with over 150 of these gastropubs to provide their food to locals.” Deliveroo pubs, they say, can see an additional revenue increase of up to 30% of their typical in-house food orders.

This forms part of what they call their “wider goal to support” (and/or totally takeover) the UK high street. Last year the company say they created £151 million additional revenue for the UK's restaurant industry plus a further 6,000 jobs across restaurants and suppliers.

Last July, Deliveroo also launched a “standalone alcohol service,” offering customers “the chance to find the perfect pairing” for their Deliveroo order. In 2017 they say they’ve seen orders of alcohol increase by 158%. The alcohol delivery works in the same way as their core offering, the only difference being that orders arrive significantly quicker since no food needs to be prepared.