SOUTH AFRICA – Mr Yum, an Australian start-up running a web-based food-ordering platform has launched its service in South Africa allowing customers to order and pay for food from their favourite local restaurants through the Mr Yum website.
Mr Yum is not a delivery service, but rather it allows restaurants to cut out the middleman and run their own deliveries while allowing for simple online ordering and payment by customers.
“Our platform empowers restaurants to take back ownership of their customer relationship. We provide the infrastructure they need to remain operational, make and serve delicious food,” said COO Gary Harrod, part of a team of South African founders who have partnered with Mr Yum
The platform is completely web-based and does not have any apps, offering visual menus with photos of each dish, up to five language translations, ingredient definitions for those more exotic dishes, and dietary filters (veg, vegan, GF), reports bizcommunity.
While SA’s struggling restaurant trade experienced some relief in May when venues were permitted to offer delivery services, the commissions and fees charged by popular app delivery platforms have made them unfeasible for many outlets.
The service is positioned as a low-cost alternative to the likes of UberEats and Mr D Food, with signed-up restaurants charged only 7.5% commission compared to the up to 30% commissions associated with other delivery platforms.
“We are excited to bring this robust platform to South Africa and hope to offer financial relief to the restaurant industry here,” Harrod said.
He further highlighted that the infrastructure is a sustainable business model as the pricing is long-term and is not a Covid-19 special.
According to the company, sign-up is free and restaurants get unlimited support at no cost. There is no lock-in contract and no upfront costs.
Once they have applied through the Mr Yum SA’s website they can share their Mr Yum link on their website, Instagram and Facebook pages and it will also pop up when customers search for their favourite spots on Google.
Liked this article? Subscribe to DealStreet Africa News, our regular email newsletter with the latest news, deals and insights from Africa’s business, economy and more. SUBSCRIBE HERE