Delivery Apps Gouging Restaurants During Pandemic, Say Eatery Owners

When it comes to limiting your exposure to coronavirus, we have to think of everyone we come in contact, and everyone that they’ve come in contact with, and so on and so forth until we’re blue in the face.

That’s why a hike in the woods with a cohabitant is fine, but going to the grocery store feels a little sketchy.  When it comes to getting into an Uber, or taking food out of an Uber, the math on the person-to-person contact gets troubling, to say the least.  Your driver is interacting with at least one person per restaurant, and then bringing all of that back back to you.  That restaurant worker is also doing their fair share of interaction, making this whole setup less than ideal.

But it’s not only a safety issue with these delivery drivers, as the companies they work for are very blatantly exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to put the squeeze on your favorite restaurants.

Ashish Alfred owns several restaurants in Maryland including George’s Chophouse in Bethesda.

Over the weekend, he posted a message on his Instagram page asking people to “delete every food delivery app you have on your phone” and explains it is an effort to avoid “25-30% commission rates” they’re currently paying.

Restaurant owners are asking that customers use curbside pickup options instead of a delivery app.  Not only will you avoid the fee associated with the service, but you take at least one potential virus carrier out of the equation, and more of your hard-earned money goes back to the restaurants that you love, many of whom are struggling during this trying time.