The coronavirus has put the world on pause, but for delivery services, this is their time to shine. Postmates, Uber Eats, Instacart and DoorDash are a few of the delivery services that have changed their delivery services to reflect the hard times going on.
Social distancing is real and with COVID-19, it is critically important to be safe in your own home if you are ordering out. Dining out is no longer an option, so many restaurants have moved to ‘contactless delivery.’ If you choose no contact delivery, instead of having to meet your driver to grab your food, the driver will leave it at your door.
There are at least 14 chains that are offering free delivery during this pandemic. This includes Subway, Chipotle, most pizza chains and more. Some places, like IHOP have gone the extra mile and offered 20 percent on first-time delivery orders.
Students have said that even if they don’t use these services during the April stay-at-home order, they may choose to grab a meal when everything is over.
“When things open back up, I will be more inclined to spend my money at these places because this shows that they care about their customers,” Kaelyn Spencer, a junior psychology/criminal justice student at FAMU, said.
Uber Eats recently made a significant change. “To support the community, you get a $0 delivery fee on any order from a local restaurant,” according to its website. This means that the $4-5 price has been omitted for places like Maple Street Biscuit Company, Bagel Bagel and even Starbucks. The few dollars may not seem like a lot but if a customer is ordering out, it may be the best option when considering leaving the house.
DoorDash hasn’t released a statement but its website has done the same thing, in a bigger light. Big chain restaurants like McDonalds, Chick-fil-A and Tropical Smoothie now have a free delivery ad. This is consistent with all their deliveries in the Tallahassee area, although a lot of places have closed.
Are these delivery services really helping with social distancing? Some students have said that they are using this time to cook instead of eating out. Most students opted out from using these services before the coronavirus outbreak.
Anaysia Williams, a junior criminal justice student, said, “The free delivery services do entice me to order but I never really used these services before. I don’t trust everyone handling my food.”
Williams also said that having a car is the primary reason for not ordering delivery services.
Spencer however, said that she is using COVID-19 as a chance to learn some new recipes and eat a healthier diet.