Food delivery business picking up in Goa

The existing local players in Goa market who are into the business of food delivery are not concerned with the entry of national ‘brands’ in the State. The Goan companies like Twisted Tiffin, Done Delivery, Foodbudz are all doing great and their business is growing, more or less similar to mom and pop shops which are still sustaining despite entry of big malls across India.

Twisted Tiffin began in its operation in February 2016 starting from South Goa primarily focusing on corporates in Verna Industrial Estate. “We have been experimenting with markets in South Goa by including neighborhoods in Colva and catering to BITS Pilani Goa campus. We then entered into the Panjim market focusing primarily at Patto Plaza and Goa Medical College, Bambolim and the response was good however only 5 per cent of customers placed their order online. The number has risen drastically by 25 per cent in the last two years and we see our efforts paying off. This is purely our data and we are proud of the fact that we contributed a tiny bit to the people of Goa,” said the 28-year-old founder and CEO of Twisted Tiffin, Mittanshu Satla. 

He further added that what they witnessed is that the market in Goa is massive but spread out and unpredictable. People are extremely price conscious but at the same time loyal and regular while ordering. This is exactly what we expected which is why our entire concept as a company from inception revolves around customised, affordable single serve meals which giant online aggregators are focusing on now, with introductions like Swiggy etc. 

“In this business of food delivery fleet management is the biggest challenge especially when one has limited money. The key is good management of resources. Now after entering into the Pune market, we are seeing the pay packages of delivery executives going up to Rs 30,000 to 40,000 per month and battle for manpower is bigger than anything else for these players where one is trying to eliminate the other. Getting into tourist sub-markets such as Baga, Vagator, Calangute was a challenge for us as these markets have a seasonal occupancy and marketing budgets would hit the roof as you would need to market your product outside Goa focusing on domestic tourists. I am really happy for the fact that this entry would generate a good amount of employment for locals and people who are on the ship have an option to work part time when they are back home after finishing a season,” added Satla.

Foodbudz too which has recently entered the Goa market feels that their application and technology is real time, safe and easy to use. “At Foodbudz we are currently operating in Margao. The business was launched on April 14 this year and we have an app on playstore through which our consumers order. We also receive offline orders from restaurants. In the initial months due to increased engagement we were placed ninth on the playstore ranking in the food space in India. We communicate with our consumers online through social media as well as offline through various events. Our growth sees a 20 per cent increase -- month on month. We are gradually spreading our reach in Goa and our areas of operation are now at Margao, Verna, Nuvem, Colva and Navelim,” said the founder and CEO of Foodbudz, Ainsley Rodrigues.

“We welcome the new entrants since the gap existed for a long time. We are region specific service players and targeting a specific type of customers and with their entry they are opening the services for a larger geographical scale in Goa,” said Rodrigues. 

Done Delivery is an upcoming Goan start-up that strives to act as a bridge between Goa-based restaurants and their customers. Launched on Dusshera Day (October 19) this year, its founders have deep Goan roots and they are well versed in Goan culture and food palate that Goa relishes. This one month old food delivery service provider in its short span, already has over 600 registered customers and is the only one in Goa to deliver across a large 15 kilometer radius that run from Dona Paula to Milroc Kadamba, Old Goa on one side and Bambolim to Damian de Goa, Porvorim on the other side. The 12 locations include Porvorim, Panjim, Miramar, Taleigao, Caranzalem, Dona Paula, Bambolim, Merces, St Cruz, Ribandar, Chimbel and Kadamba Plateau.

Done Delivery is changing the scenario of food delivery in Goa. Its vision is to make good food delivered by the Done Delivery Zanaar as important to the Goan household, just like the ‘Poder’ who delivers hot bread in the morning or the ‘Nustekan’ that brings the freshest catch to ones doorstep on all days. Within a few clicks, you can choose from a variety of cuisines from over 30 restaurants and have your favourite meals delivered to your doorstep.

“We genuinely believe that Goa and Goans deserve a world class service and that is the core which guides us in our business. Goa is an emerging market and entry of bigger players has just validated our premise that this segment has huge potential. Being a Goan start-up, the Goan customers have accepted us with open arms and we feel that there is enough space for different players to co-exist. Also, being a local player with deep rooted connect has its own advantages,” said the director of Done Delivery, Namit Chimulkar.

He added that the customer-friendly website enables you to choose your meals within minutes, filter by cuisine preference, proximity, easy order tracking and courteous delivery boys set them apart from the other food delivery providers. Further, Done Delivery allows its customers to order in bulk, ideal for small parties and the same will be delivered to their homes. They also offer its customers to pre-order their meals in advance as well as picking it up from the restaurants themselves. The company also helps up-skill the restaurants and its team to embrace technology and soft skills and help them become more productive, thus aiding them to take their businesses to the next level.

“Providing a Goan flavour throughout the day from an early breakfast to midnight snack, customers will soon be able to enjoy ordering directly via the Done Delivery app that will include pre ordering and multi restaurant single orders. This also includes expansion to other cities in Goa along with chosen restaurants from those towns,” said Chimulkar. 

Despite attempts, the new entrants in Goa,  Swiggy and Zomato, did not respond to queries raised by the Herald.