How COVID-19 will Change the Way India Eats Out & Orders Food Delivery

I recently conducted a survey among my friends, colleagues and peers.

The results are pretty surprising.

If you are someone who takes a keen interest in food, or own a food-related business, read this till the end.

As I sit to draft this, a food delivery executive has tested COVID-19 positive in Delhi and all the customers he delivered to has been quarantined.

And just as I prepare to publish this blog post, another in Chennai has tested positive for the virus.

The Survey

I conducted this survey as India was nearing the end of its Stage 1 lock down and moved into the second stage.

The target audience was aged between 18 and 40 – the group that accounts for more than 90% of all online food delivery orders, eats out the most and splurges on food and drinks.

A set of ten multiple choice questions were asked to gauge the participant’s behavior before and during the lock down.

It also seeks to understand how comfortable the participant will be to eat out and order food deliveries once the lockdown restrictions are lifted and things start getting back to normal.

Note that PII was not collected during the survey.

The Results from COVID-19 Survey on Eating Out & Getting Food Home Delivered

The target audience for the poll was aged between 18 and 40.

Most of the survey response were from professionals and businessmen with a very small proportion being from the student community.

Before COVID-19 and the lockdown, this is how the respondents ate out.

• 46% of the respondents ate out either once or twice a week
• 18% ate out more than twice but less than five times
• 28% of the respondents said they ate out more than 5 times every week

When it comes to food delivery prior to the lockdown, this is how the respondents surveyed answered.

• 42% of them ordered once or twice using food delivery apps like Zomato and Swiggy
• 28% never ordered
• 25% ordered three or four times a week

Once the lockdown was announced, there was a drastic change in the stats as respondents stopped ordering through food delivery apps.

• 68% did not order using apps during the lockdown period. This is where restaurants who were operational during the lockdown suffered massive losses
• 29% ordered less than 6 times
• Around 3% ordered via the apps on a regular basis

When asked, if COVID-19 impacted on the eating out habits of the respondents, 82% replied in the affirmative.

The respondents were next asked about the major reason impacting eating out. The following were the major reasons.

• 76% of the respondents felt that staff health and hygiene in the restaurant was the deciding factor
• 60% were worried about the gathering in the restaurants and the lack of assurance on food safety
• 48% also felt that uncomfortable eating out with strangers around

When it comes to getting the food delivered, 79% responded in the affirmative. This is slightly less than the impact people felt in eating out.

The respondents were also asked about the major reasons for having to think before ordering a food delivery. The following were the major reasons.

• 79% felt that staff health and hygiene at the restaurant was an issue
• 65% felt less assured about the health and hygiene of the delivery personnel
• 56% rued the lack of assurance on food safety at the restaurant
• 52% of the respondents were unsure about how food delivery apps like Zomato, Swiggy and UberEats would ensure 100% safe deliveries

The respondents were next asked about whether they would feel comfortable in eating out once the lockdown ends.

25% responded in the affirmative and another 25% responded with a “No”. Half of the respondents were unsure.

When asked if they would be comfortable getting food home delivered once the lockdown was over, 39% said they would, while 25% felt that they would still refrain from ordering via apps.

Interestingly, 36% said they were unsure.

The last question that respondents were asked to answer was how long would they take to be comfortable to eat out and order food deliveries via apps. This is how they responded.

• 43% respondents said they would be comfortable in up to 1 month
• 25% responded saying that would take more than a month but less than 3 months
• Another 25% implied that they would take anywhere between 3 and 6 months

In the next section, I have analyzed what these results mean for the customers and for the restaurants.

My Thoughts – What the Number Means

Pandemics are life-changing occasions. It impacts human thoughts and actions.

Sad, but true!

If you have taken a closer look at the data, you will understand that customers have reacted with shock and not without reason.

80% of the people who ate out or ordered a food delivery just stopped their normal behavior overnight. And this has been the scenario for more than a month now.

The major reasons for this behavior are very clear, and it all stems from a single word – TRUST!

People are more concerned about who will handle their food, how the food will be handled and whether there are require health and hygiene practices in place.

For diners who are used to seeing ‘No Admission’ at the doors of the restaurant kitchen, trust is definitely the major issue which will keep them away for some time once the lockdown is lifted and things start getting back to normal.

95% of the respondents in the survey have cited reasons that signify the lack of trust among diners during the course of the pandemic.

Understand that when the system receives a shock, it takes time to recover. Food and beverages are more conservative when it comes to recovery.

One of the most notable points in the survey is the 35% respondent group who are not sure whether they will eat out or order food delivery once the pandemic starts wearing off its ugly head.

35% is a huge number. This is where restaurants, eateries, food delivery apps and the industry in general will have to work hard to educate, assure and invite customers back into their fold.

It is very clear that the shock of the pandemic will stay for the rest of the year and early next year – the fear and risk averse attitude will keep the customers unsure and away.

The good news is that people are willing to eat out or order food deliveries once they are sure themselves. And that is where the restaurants, the F&B industry and everyone connected to the sector need to join hands and act.

Before I end, here are some guidelines that restaurants should take a note of to earn trust and ensure customer safety during and after the pandemic lockdown.