Covid delivery and takeaway food

[kerouac2]

Most food establishments are in dire straits in a lot of the world with restaurants closed and/or the population in lockdown or curfew, but some places in France are flourishing and even opening new sites in Paris.

The biggest rise in Paris is in (sit down before you read this) poke bowl chains.  They benefit from three factors -- 1) they are the new fad food and 2) many of the dishes are vegan, another fad.  Parisians are in love with fads... for about a year.  And 3) poke bowls are cold food, so they arrive in perfect condition, not lukewarm or limp.

Here is one of the new chains which is thriving:  www.pokawa.com/en/menus-2/

Pizza chains are also thriving.  Their boxes keep the items hot, and there was already an art of pizza delivery in many cities.  McDonald's and Burger King are trying hard to keep up, but they weren't really designed to be delivery items, so if Uber Eats or Deliveroo fail in their delivery speed, the food that arrives is crummy.

But people are getting more and more used to eating delivered food, so there is another new contender which is probably the most dangerous of all -- dark kitchens.  These are the new restaurants which are not restaurants at all, just kitchens.  No waiters, no dining areas, no expenses not related directly to the food.  They are inventing new delivery items and containers that arrive in perfect condition at a lower price.  Even after the pandemic, there is a good chance that a lot of people will continue to eat this way.

Is it the same in the other countries?

[bixaorellana]

Many, many places here went to delivery pretty quickly right after lockdown. This is not particularly a radical move here, as Mexico is a delivery-intensive country. Even before the pandemic it was common to be walking down the sidewalk and pass someone with a laden tray taking it to a workplace or wherever.

Of course we are exhorted to help support local restaurants by ordering from their delivery menus. I'm not adverse to that, except that the only two real reasons I'd want to order in would be extreme laziness &/or there was something tempting & good I wanted. In the few times I've ordered, I'd say I was satisfied about one and a half times. One time was because of the laziness factor & it was okay -- certainly nothing to write home about, but okay for what it was. But the second time I ordered from that place, the dogs got the biggest part of it. The other only other order that was semi-acceptable I made because I was dying for fried chicken. News flash: KFC in Oaxaca has zero flavor.

Since getting the airfryer, I have indulged myself in (delivered) items from the supermarket that I was always too pure and snobby to buy before: frozen breaded fish filet, chicken patties, that kind of thing. It's ready in a flash from the airfryer and is pretty good -- the fish filet is quite nice, even. This kind of eating is my substitute for delivered food.

As far as poke bowls -- I always want to walk up to millenials eating that stuff & say, "This is the same food your mother put on your plate and you brattily pushed it around & refused to eat. But now it's in a big cereal bowl at 20 bucks a portion & you're gobbling it up?!"

[casimira]

We have tried to support the local eateries that we are most familiar with and order meals to go 2 or 3 times a week average.
Some restaurants have curbside pick up.
Other restaurants that we order from allow you to go in and pick up your meal upon arrival.
I know a number of people who have groceries delivered on a regular basis via Amazon who now owns Whole Paycheck Foods Co. which is an overpriced chic grocery popular with millenials.
I also try and make it to the weekly local Farmer's Market as often as I can.
(I prefer to see the food, especially produce, that I am buying).
I follow one of our local food writer's website and he updates and features the various offerings restaurants throughout the city.