TechStuff How Food Delivery Apps Don’t Work
Dec 20, 2024
Lauren Vogelbaum, co-host of the Saver and BrainStuff podcasts, returns to discuss the chaotic world of food delivery apps. She reveals that these services are not beneficial for restaurants, drivers, or even the companies themselves. Vogelbaum shares insights on the high commission fees hurting restaurant profits and the gig economy's unfair labor practices affecting drivers. The conversation also touches on ghost kitchens and the industry's struggle for profitability, highlighting critical issues in modern food delivery.
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First Online Pizza Order
- In 1994, a Pizza Hut in Santa Cruz piloted online pizza ordering via pizza.net.
- This involved submitting an online form, which was then routed to Pizza Hut headquarters and finally to the restaurant.
The Bitcoin Pizza
- A Florida man bought two pizzas with 10,000 Bitcoin in the early days of cryptocurrency.
- This purchase, worth less than $10 then, would be worth over a billion dollars today.
Dot-com Bubble Parallels
- The dot-com bubble saw companies like Webvan struggle with unsustainable business models, expanding too rapidly before profitability.
- This mirrors some of the challenges faced by modern food delivery apps.