The Bhutanese Leading the way.
With a significant shift in dining habits, takeaway and delivery culture is gaining popularity in the country, creating job opportunities for part-time employment and transforming the way people enjoy their favorite meals.
Traditionally, most people have cherished the practice of dining together as a family or community. However, with the changing work patterns, and a desire for greater flexibility, the concept of takeaway and delivery food has entered the Bhutanese culinary scene.
Sonam Choki who works in a private organization said that since she is living alone and doesn’t get much time to cook at home, she mostly prefers ordering food online.
She said, “Rather than visiting my favorite restaurants, I order it online. I can explore varieties of my favorite dishes and try them too. It is cost effective and the food are also fresh.”
From traditional cuisine to fast-food, the options available are expanded significantly. With the advent of food delivery platforms and mobile applications, ordering food from the comfort of home or office has become effortless.
A few restaurant owners shared that the takeaway orders add to the revenue stream, allowing them to reach more customers and increase sales. It also provides customers with the convenience of enjoying restaurant-quality food in the comfort of their own homes.
Pema Restaurant shared, restaurants that embrace takeaway culture can demonstrate their adaptability to changing market trends, ensuring their survival and growth.
ZheyGo owner shared that as both his wife and himself were working. They had difficult time exploring for new foods and getting it delivered. After a few struggles, they came up with an idea to develop an App that enables local restaurants to reach out to their customers, and so offered them a delivery service.
He shared, “Customers are able to discover local restaurants, explore multinational cuisine and have them delivered to their doorstep. We are also creating employment opportunities for the youths and those who wants to avail part-time jobs by recruiting part-time riders who can earn on commission basis for each delivery they make.”
“Till date we have positive feedbacks from our customers and furthermore we are putting efforts to rectify and provide better service,” he added.
Good Vibes owner shared that initially they started as a dine-in restaurant but it has been only few years that they started doing delivery and takeaway services.
“During pandemic, we almost went into an economic crisis, then we decided to advertise and started takeaway and delivery service. In the initial phase, there were not many customers but with time more people started availing the service. Individuals coming for dine-in are comparatively less compared to takeaway and delivery services,” the owner said.
However, the restaurant is running at a loss compared to the traditional dine-in restaurant.
“Most of the time, we do not add delivery charges if the place is nearby, so it becomes extra expenditure on manpower, as we have to pay the riders who deliver the foods and it also adds more to fuel and packaging budget. Sometimes if the distance of delivery is far the foods gets cold too,” the owner said.
Aside from food delivery service, Job-a-Job-a, an online job portal and service delivery is a platform which connect employers and jobseekers fast and easy through online and also provides delivery services. The Marketing and Media Officer, Namgay Yoenten, shared that they created the platform aiming to provide part-time opportunities to the youth and jobseekers.
“Students can apply through online and do part-time jobs in their leisure time. Individuals can earn pocket money which till now they had to depend on their family members. Interested individuals can register online. As an when there is delivery services needed in their locations they will be notified and they can earn through it.”
“We do delivery of food items, grocery and vegetable shopping, parcel delivery, clothes delivery and also cosmetics. Currently, cosmetic orders are the trend. Sometimes when individuals need their important documents and packed lunches to be delivered, we also do that.”
MyChharo owner shared that their company was founded with the goal of providing convenient and reliable delivery solutions to meet the evolving needs of consumers and businesses.
He shared, “Though we were established in the Year 2020, The COVID-19 lockdown exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains and transportation systems.
“We want to contribute to Bhutan’s resilience by providing a reliable and adaptable delivery network that can effectively navigate disruptions. By doing so, we aim to support businesses in maintaining a sense of normalcy even in the face of challenges”.
“Through innovative technology and a user-centric approach, we aim to empower
our customers and businesses by making delivery services more convenient and accessible than ever before”.
He also said, “Beyond the physical act of delivering packages, we envision our company as a conduit for connections. Whether it’s a heartfelt gift to a loved one, essential supplies to vulnerable individuals, or supporting local businesses, each delivery represents a connection between people. We strive to facilitate these connections, promoting a sense of solidarity and mutual support”.
He said a wide range of food establishments, including restaurants, cafes, and even niche food vendors, have embraced the takeaway culture.
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