“Moving in and out of COVID lockdowns has fundamentally changed the way people eat and drink,” notes incoming Deliverect ANZ general manager Jeremy Van Dille.

“Restaurants have had to pivot as demand for food delivery services reached new heights,” he adds.

Van Dille says there are about 65,000 restaurant locations who use food delivery in Australia. Most have adapted during the pandemic to cater to existing patrons and increase clientele.

He says restaurants have talked to Deliverect, inquiring about the complexities of dealing with numerous delivery partners, which can complicate managing online sales channels.

Deliverect says for family-owned restaurants, large chains and FMCG brands, the priority is to make sure patrons receive the best quality food in the quickest amount of time.

“They are eager to ensure an operational flow that minimises hiccups that affect customer experience,” Van Dille says. “We are giving them a simple way to manage and grow online orders with ease. Our challenge is to ramp up Deliverect’s Australian operation quickly to meet this demand.”

A subscription-based SaaS solution, Deliverect integrates directly with restaurants’ POS systems, automating the inbound online order flow through a single point.

It eliminates the need for staff to monitor multiple devices and manually re-enter orders into their existing system, reducing staff workload and the probability of errors.

When a delivery or takeout order comes in from food delivery apps Uber Eats, Doordash, Menulog or Deliveroo, Deliverect processes the orders, then transfers it straight to the kitchen.

Globally, Deliverect processes 1.5 million orders each week, supporting 100+ integrations with major POS and delivery partners, with hundreds of others in the pipeline.

Outback Steakhouse is one of Deliverect’s many partners, citing it as an example. The restaurant has locations across NSW and Queensland, and has been using the app for more than a year.

Outback Steakhouse group chief marketing officer Christopher Noble testifies how the app has been useful.

“Our partnership with Deliverect has been a game changer in streamlining our delivery processes and has enabled us to spend more time focusing on our guests’ experience. In an ever-changing world Deliverect has been key in helping us stay at the cutting edge of technology,” Noble says.

In April, Deliverect raised US$65 million in a Series C funding round, bringing total fundraising to more than US$90 million since it was founded in September 2018.

At that time, it surpassed 30 million orders processed in a 12-month period (an increase of nearly 750%), equating to more than US$ 1 billion estimated order value and providing customers, on average, an increase of 25% in revenue, as well as an 80% decrease in order failures.

“Building on our success in Europe, this year’s expansion into new markets like Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Mexico marks a major milestone,” Deliverect CEO Zhong Xu says.

“Australia has a very sophisticated food industry, particularly when we look at the uptake of QR code menus and ordering in restaurants. We expect the convenience and efficiency of online food ordering means consumer demand will continue to flourish and we want to help the food service industry to connect, innovate and evolve through technology,” Xu adds.

Deliverect, which provides a software platform that connects restaurant point of sale (POS) and kitchens with delivery services, already has 1,500 Australian food service locations as customers.

Deliverect’s clientele includes Outback Steakhouse, Red Rooster, Hungry Jacks, Fishbowl, and Pretezel restaurants.

It counts Uber Eats, Doordash, Menulog, and Deliveroo as its food delivery partners.

With the addition of a dedicated Australian team, which it plans to grow to 50 during 2022, the company plans to substantially expand its footprint across the local restaurant industry.