FOODEX SET TO BRING NEW DELIVERY OPTIONS
People behind new business want to give control back to restaurants
A new food takeout and delivery service is ready to wow customers in Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert while bringing a more affordable option to restaurant owners looking to break free from high costs and hidden fees associated with other ordering platforms.
Though online ordering platforms are far from a new idea, Benny Su — who also manages Korean dessert restaurant Snowy Village — knew there had to be a better, more intuitive way to connect restaurants with their customers. He reached out to Good Cause Coupon creator Sherry Chen and the two brought his vision to light. The Web-based business FOODEX was born.
Su says the COVID -19 pandemic, which forced many restaurants to rely solely on takeout and delivery this spring, was a catalyst to launch FOODEX. But he noted that even before the pandemic hit he had long been trying to think of solutions to what he describes as “pain points” when using other well known ordering platforms. When it came to designing his all-in-one system, he knew a low cost for use and full integration with existing restaurant ordering systems were
key to success. Chen says a benefit for businesses using FOODEX is the connection they are able to foster with customers — a guiding principle of the business — especially when there are problems with an order.
“(Other food delivery sites) have a lot of hidden fees,” Chen explained. “Whether it’s late delivery penalties or complaint penalties, they don’t even give the restaurant a chance to connect with their customers and instead decide themselves how they are going to compensate the customer. So if (other food delivery sites) say ‘OK I’m going to completely refund you,’ then they will deduct that money 100 per cent from the restaurant.”
With the profit margins of most restaurants already razor thin, having the option to communicate directly with customers to right any mistakes not only helps restaurants’ bottom lines, but may also redeem businesses in the eyes of customers who receive lessthan-perfect meals.
“We want to facilitate that relationship, not stand in the middle of it,” Chen said. “So we give a lot of control back to the restaurant.”
And for customers, using FOODEX is as easy as putting in your order, address and payment. You don’t even need to supply an email address to register with FOODEX so you don’t need to worry about spam emails heading your way.
For Snowy Village, using FOODEX has meant less confusion for workers and more money for the business, Su said.
“It’s just a lot easier,” Su said. “It did take some time for customers to readjust to the new ways of ordering, but we are seeing (order numbers) go back to where they used to be.”
FOODEX is not only for delivery and takeout. Chen and Su have also created unique QR code stickers for tabletops that allows the system to be used by dine in customers — an incredibly useful tool for people who like to order multiple times throughout their meal or to help staff and customers adhere to physical distancing rules. Using FOODEX, restaurants are even able to set up options for immediate payment through the online platform or give customers the option to pay at the end of the meal.
Overall, restaurants using FOO DEX can expect fees that are less than a third of what they may be paying on other platforms and can choose whether to use their own delivery people or professional couriers partnered with the site whose fees are paid by the customer. In the future, Chen says customers can continue to expect more restaurant options, the launch of the FOODEX mobile app and an option to donate to partnered charities when ordering.
“We hope local restaurants will give us a chance,” Chen said. “We want to invest in Saskatchewan because we are from here and we hope we can really help the restaurants continue to grow — even during COVID.”