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7 alternatives to food delivery platforms for greater variety and to #SupportLocal

7 alternatives to food delivery platforms for greater variety and to #SupportLocal
PHOTO: Unsplash

Some of us are spending a fair amount of the circuit breaker period in the kitchen, while others have turned to food delivery platforms for doorstep convenience.

If you have exhausted most of the options on your main delivery apps, you can turn to this compilation of alternatives for greater variety.

Food delivery platforms have also attracted flak for their commission fees

. But regardless on which side of the fence you are on, there’s no harm in having more options while being confined to your home day in and day out.

#1 Save F&B SG – for foodies

Started by #savefnbsg, this website holds over 89 restaurants ranging from various cuisines. It serves as an alphabetised directory for customers, along with labels so you can tell which cuisine it serves.

#savefnbsg is a coalition of more than 600 restaurants, banding together to support each other during this Covid-19 pandemic.

The restaurant owners have also come together to petition for lower commission fees from food delivery platforms. More than 5,000 people have signed the petition thus far.

In a separate appeal letter, the #savefnbsg community said that the 30 per cent commissions charged by delivery firms are ‘too prohibitive for restaurants already operating on thin margins’.

#2 #SupportLocalSG

#SupportLocalSG is a one-stop portal that puts together local F&B businesses and grocery shops.

This website is one of the easiest to navigate, given that each listing provides the essential information you need, such as its menu, minimum order needed, price range and where it delivers to.

You can also toggle with filters such as meals, snacks, fresh produce & groceries, and meal plan subscriptions.

#3 Where Got Food?

Wheregotfood.sg puts together more than 110 restaurants offering islandwide deliveries. The free directory is built by Oangle, a web design and development studio that was established in 2012.

This platform includes the menu, delivery fees and discounts in each listing, and you can filter by its food category too.

Wheregotfood.sg also manages an active Facebook and Instagram page with frequent shout-outs for restaurants listed on its platform.

#4 Hawkers United – Dabao 2020 Facebook group

With over 250,000 members in the group, Hawkers United – Dabao 2020 is one of the Facebook groups that has received much recognition.

It was created by hawker Melvin Chew on April 3, who is also the owner of Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck & Kway Chap.

He started this community initiative as soon as the circuit breaker measures were announced, to allow hawkers to post about their offerings.

To categorise hawkers into geographical zones, a website called Hawkers United Singapore is also set up. From there, customers will be directed to a list of hawkers and other F&B outlets in their preferred zone.

Alternatively, you can also do so with the ‘Topics’ as a filter.

Hawkers United – Dabao 2020 has also created sister accounts such as Pasar United – Dabao 2020 for retailers selling vegetables and seafood, and Delivery United, to link up hawkers and customers with interested delivery drivers.

Upon the announcement of the extended circuit breaker, Sweets United was also created to support the affected community.

#5 Singapore Restaurant Rescue Facebook group

Singapore Restaurant Rescue was created to help fellow restaurant owners cope with the dining-out ban.

As a private group, it has fewer members at over 70,000 members, but its posts are more regulated than the usual.

It serves as a vital platform for restaurants to stay visible during this period and for customers to seek for recommendations.

#6 WhyQ

Since 2017, local startup WhyQ has been pooling orders from hawker centres and food courts at a flat delivery fee of $1.50.

While it used to target office workers in the CBD, WhyQ has experienced a surge in inquiries from hawkers to be listed on its app since late January this year. It also does not impose a minimum order.

#7 Carousell

In partnership with Unilever, online marketplace Carousell has launched a new initiative to bring together over 2,500 local F&Bs and hawkers.

On its newly-created Local F&B category, F&B owners can provide on-demand takeaway services without paying commission fees.

Users can also tap on the location filter function to easily identify F&B businesses near them.

Stay at home & shop overseas online

Stuck at home during the circuit breaker period?

With YouTrip, you can pay for your online shopping and subscriptions in over 150 currencies with no fees and the best exchange rates.

YouTrip is free to sign up by downloading the app and you will get your own YouTrip Mastercard for overseas online shopping.

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.

This article was first published in Dollars and Sense.

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