126
Restaurants say big chains pretend to be independents on apps (www.bbc.co.uk)
submitted 3 weeks ago by sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al to c/technology@beehaw.org
34 comments fedilink hide all child comments
all 36 comments
sorted by: hot top new old
[-] r00ty@kbin.life 82 points 3 weeks ago

Peter Backman, CEO of theDelivery.World, said the practice was only misleading if customers were purposely trying to support independent restaurants and takeaways.

That's some high grade bullshit. There is going to be a subset of people (and I'd argue it's a growing number) that want to support local businesses and so yes it's misleading to all those people.

But more than that. A corporate/franchise brand has such a huge value they will sue you if you use it without permission. So if they're choosing not to use a brand they paid good money to use, it can only be because they want to deceive.

[-] sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al 39 points 3 weeks ago

I genuinely thought a bunch of new businesses were opening locally and wanted to support them for their longevity, it's only reading this that I realise they're all just brands. It's incredibly deceptive and they absolutely shouldn't be legally allowed to get away with it.

[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 49 points 3 weeks ago

I thought this was well known? It started really gearing up during COVID.

Chuck E. Cheese was selling pizza under the monicker of "Pagliuchi's Pizza" or some shit.

[-] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 36 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Sometimes those are the chains directly... More often they're just ghost kitchens. Someone else owns the brand, and has an already established kitchen make the food for delivery apps, and they take a cut from the sale.

Many ghost kitchens aren't even normal restaurants you would drive to, they're just commercial kitchens in generic business space that make food for a dozen or so ghost kitchen brands.

[-] TehPers@beehaw.org 2 points 2 weeks ago
[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Sorry my memory wasn't good here, it was Pasqually's Pizza.

[-] dumples@piefed.social 29 points 3 weeks ago

I try to avoiding ordering from the apps and prefer to order directly from the location. I have to pick it up but you save time and money. But I don't always have the time to do that.

I don't really understand how virtual brands and ghosts kitchen are allowed on the apps. It feels ridiculous

[-] Scrollone@feddit.it 10 points 3 weeks ago

Pizzerias in Italy have been delivering for ages without apps. I don't understand why everybody uses apps now.

[-] Brosplosion@lemmy.zip 10 points 3 weeks ago

Cause staffing and paying deliver drivers is more expensive than subcontracting, sadly

[-] tyler@programming.dev 3 points 2 weeks ago

It’s not, but they get more business on the apps, even if the apps take a massive cut.

[-] B0rax@feddit.org 7 points 3 weeks ago

Because with an app you can open it and see all Restaurants that deliver to you and see what they have to offer.

I simply don’t know an alternative that offers a comparable user experience.

[-] Scrollone@feddit.it 6 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, but still. After a while you get to know which restaurants you like. And you can call them directly without giving money to big companies.

[-] prex@aussie.zone 5 points 3 weeks ago

Google maps?

[-] B0rax@feddit.org 2 points 2 weeks ago

Maybe I didn’t see it, but Google Maps does not have a filter for places that do delivery. It also does not show the menu. Maybe the restaurant has a link in the description, but that is often not the case.

[-] tyler@programming.dev 2 points 2 weeks ago

Google maps does the same thing…

[-] B0rax@feddit.org 1 points 2 weeks ago

Maybe I didn’t see it, but Google Maps does not have a filter for places that do delivery. It also does not show the menu. Maybe the restaurant has a link in the description, but that is often not the case.

[-] tyler@programming.dev 2 points 2 weeks ago

Probably depends on the restaurant if the menu is up to date, but this was the first one I clicked on and it has the menu listed multiple times in multiple places.

The delivery filter is in the scrollbar below the map

[-] dumples@piefed.social 4 points 3 weeks ago

Some of the pizza places by me have delivery people still. I use them often

[-] Scrath@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 weeks ago

I find apps very useful for discovering places I can order from. Typically I will then visit their own website and see if they are cheaper when ordering directly

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 3 weeks ago

pizza and asian near me.

[-] xep@discuss.online 4 points 3 weeks ago

Don't use delivery apps. Cook your own meals, it's both cheaper and better for your health.

[-] Hirom@beehaw.org 16 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Of course cooking is preferable, but it's not possible everyday for everyone. Everyone's situation is different.

Food to go is a good option on days when cooking is not convenient/possible. You can order by calling the restaurant directly over the phone, go pick it up and see the restaurant and its owner/employee face to face, so you'll see if that's a chain. There's no delivery nor app fee. It encourage walking and support nearby restaurants.

[-] PaddleMaster@beehaw.org 3 points 3 weeks ago

Agree big time. Or order directly from the restaurant. I usually call, then pick up. I get the food faster, and I know nobody has tampered with it.

Only time I’d even consider using delivery app is if my extremely sick. Even then, I have some canned soups ready to go.

[-] brygphilomena@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 weeks ago

Most of the time. It's cause I'm drunk and would happily go pick something up but won't get in a car to drive because, well, drunk.

But I also always check the address to see if it's a ghost kitchen or not.

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 3 weeks ago

Is this old I seem to recall other articles about these kind of shenanigans.

this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2026
126 points (99.2% liked)

Technology

42145 readers
215 users here now

A nice place to discuss rumors, happenings, innovations, and challenges in the technology sphere. We also welcome discussions on the intersections of technology and society. If it’s technological news or discussion of technology, it probably belongs here.

Remember the overriding ethos on Beehaw: Be(e) Nice. Each user you encounter here is a person, and should be treated with kindness (even if they’re wrong, or use a Linux distro you don’t like). Personal attacks will not be tolerated.

Subcommunities on Beehaw:

This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
alyaza@beehaw.org
TheRtRevKaiser@beehaw.org
gyrfalcon@beehaw.org
rs5th@beehaw.org
coldredlight@beehaw.org
SemioticStandard@beehaw.org
TheRtRevKaiser@kbin.social
remington@beehaw.org