Two former oil and gas industry workers will invest £15K into the local community as they set out to launch Dundee’s newest independent online food ordering service, Dundee Eats.
After realising that the oil and gas industry may become less lucrative in the future, colleagues Lauchlan Cox (54) in Carnoustie and Jamie McPhee (40) in Aberdeenshire, decided they would try their hand at something different.
Dundee Eats, due to officially launch in the coming weeks, was an idea which came to the duo during their time working in Barrow-in-Furness, England, where they saw a successful Local Eats food ordering app firm thriving.
Online ordering platform and contactless table service
The business looks to connect other firms with their customers through an online ordering platform which can be accessed via their app or website.
Customers sign up to the app using an email address and can then order food from local businesses, restaurants and any other food outlet signed up to Dundee Eats.
Although the deliveries are not handled by the Dundee Eats team, they provide the option for businesses to deliver themselves or have their customers collect.
As well as this, with the current pandemic the option to use the Dundee Eats table delivery service in any restaurant or café using the app can also be utilised at no extra charge.
With the ongoing pandemic situation, they hope the businesses that sign up can benefit from the contactless table service also available and advertise it to their customers.
Lower commission rates and service charges
During the coronavirus pandemic thousands of businesses in the hospitality sector in the local area have been affected badly with restrictions forcing them to close or operate under strict guidance.
To help, Jamie and Lauchlan aim to support local businesses and charities. By reinvesting money back into the community they hope to see the hospitality industry thrive once again.
Jamie McPhee, said: “For two summers we sat there and thought something like this would work really well in Dundee because there is nothing like it.
“We are not interested in going after the likes of Greggs, Starbucks and McDonalds. They have everything already. We are here to help the small businesses out.”
“We charge a commission that is a lot lower than the likes of Just Eat. They fluctuate based on how much money they are making, but we have a standard 7.5% commission rate.”
Charging only a 50p service charge compared to a £1.99 that Just Eat can charge up to, Dundee Eats is a small business that is trying to support other small businesses by removing the costs for both sides.
Despite the setbacks due to negative publicity around online food ordering services, Dundee Eats hope that being locally based will help distinguish them from other delivery firms and make them stand out.
Already signed up
Businesses that have signed up to work with Dundee Eats already includes:
- The Bridge
- Sylvia’s bakery corner
- Joe’s fish bar
- Mexican Grill
- Andaaz
- Butties
- Beans and Berries
- China Palace Takeaway
- Mr Food
Jamie and Lauchlan are looking to launch once they have at least 20 businesses on board in order to give the customers a variety of choice.
Protecting local businesses
Lauchlan and Jamie are looking to make a personal connection with the local hospitality industry with their Dundee Eats motto being ‘Buy local and keep it local’.
With the high commissions and refund scams from national food ordering companies, the owners highlighted that Dundee Eats will handle matters differently.
Instead of an automatic refund to the customer, Dundee Eats will look to investigate the claims before issuing a refund.
As well as this Jamie and Lauchlan have decided not to have an option to review companies, feeling that in many cases negative reviews are unreasonable and can be extremely damaging for the businesses.
Dundee Eats is a project that they see continually growing, with word of mouth being the main driver.
