We all live in an interesting and unpredictable time. The pandemic brought about a major change in consumer habits in Goa. Gone are the days when people were willing to stand in queues for ungodly amounts of time at a restaurant or grocery store. With ordering in, there comes a blissful convenience of eating at home. We can all definitely agree that food delivery apps are a blessing especially with their ease of functioning. With social distancing becoming a norm, food delivery apps became a need of the hour. They benefit both their customers; it works for consumers as there is nothing better than food being delivered to your doorstep. To restaurants, it helps expand their reach and increase their business through such delivery platforms.
The whole concept of ‘Order Local Goa’ originated from the idea of building an ecosystem for a self-sustainable Goa, a need that the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has opened every Goans’ eye to. These unfortunate times have taken a huge toll on local businesses in Goa, many of whom are still searching for alternate means to survive. The team at ‘Order Local Goa’ realized the lack of a local, organized and convenient platform where local businesses and vendors could easily display their delicacies and products for customers to pick from. Their desire is to create an on-demand, convenient, and safe medium of ordering products that Goans need today. Basically, it’s an app for Goans by Goans.
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Learn MoreAt Goan Insider, we sat down with the team at ‘Order Local Goa’ to get a detailed undertanding of their new app and the way of moving forward. The excerpts of our conversation are below.
What is the idea or inspiration behind starting ‘Order Local Goa’?
The whole concept of ‘Order Local Goa’ originated from an idea of building a self-sustainable ecosystem in Goa, a need that the ongoing pandemic has definitely opened our eyes to. These unprecedented times have taken a huge toll on all local businesses, many of whom are still searching for alternate means to survive. Through ‘Order Local Goa’ we wanted to offer restaurant and business owners a local, convenient, on-demand delivery platform for their products.
What problem does your start up solve?
Through our conversations with multiple business partners, we realized that their greatest worry was the operational costs involved in running a business like a restaurant. Add the commissions being charged by food delivery services today, over and above these costs, and the business owners / partners make almost nothing. Through ‘Order Local Goa’ we plan on offering our local restaurant and business owners a much more economical option of using the same technology offered by existing food delivery services. They get to keep more of their revenue with them and can in turn extend a larger benefit to our customers.
Give us an overview of your website and app. Where is the app currently available?
We have a customer-friendly, easy-to-use app that can get your favourite dishes or home essentials delivered right to your doorstep in a matter of minutes. You can download the ‘Order Local Goa’ app from Google Play Store and the Apple App Store too.
Where do you envision customers putting the app to use?
Most customers we believe, are always looking to try something new to satisfy their palettes. New cuisines, new experiments with flavours, new daily cravings!! Customers can order for a work lunch, a laid back evening dinner or just when they want to have that favourite dish they crave. On the other hand, with Home Essentials like Fruits & Vegetables, we look to offer a convenient and safe delivery solution to customers who would not need to leave the safety of their homes in these unprecedented times.
What forms of payment can the app accept?
You can pay for your order through ‘Cash on Delivery’, with your Credit / Debit Card or with your registered UPI too.
What makes ‘Order Local Goa’ food delivery service unique?
‘Order Local Goa’ was created ‘For Goans by Goans’ and is committed to creating a self-sufficient Goa. Through our vision of creating a local delivery platform, we also aim at creating multiple job opportunities for locals which in turn would contribute to boosting our local economy by circulating the revenue generated within our state.
How do you adapt and localize your product for different customers?
The service that we offer can be used by each and every customer irrespective of their demographic. ‘Order Local Goa’ has some of Panjim’s best restaurants onboard, along with exclusive vendors for Fresh Produce and Home Essentials. We encourage customer feedback and suggestions to ensure that we keep improving and serving our customers better each day.
Globally, the majority of restaurants see online delivery as a good thing for business. What are your experiences here with respect to Goa?
Well, our beautiful little state is a whole different market when you compare it to the metro cities of our country or the world. Almost every service in Goa is gradually getting online and customers are slowly adapting to this new age of convenience. For restaurants, the concept of online delivery is a whole new avenue of sales besides their in-house dining options. This of course a brilliant concept where they can continue serving multiple patrons at the same time, be it at their restaurants or at customers’ homes.
What are the specifics of the food delivery market in Goa? In your opinion, how is this market going to grow in the upcoming 5 years?
Goa has always been a unique market to enter and impress in. Millennials and the oldest spectrum of Post-Millennials have already adapted to the concept of convenient food delivery right to their doorstep. Brands like Swiggy and Zomato have really revolutionized the concept of food delivery today. With almost everyone having a smartphone today, applications providing precise, easy, and convenient solutions are already all the rage. The next 5 years are only going to see a considerable increase in demand for services like food delivery, as customers keep experiencing an increase in the pace of their lifestyle.
Have you raised funding? If yes, then we would like to know the details. If not then please tell us if you are looking to raise.
A partner cum investor helped convert our concept of ‘Order Local Goa’ into a reality. We have not yet reached the phase of raising any funding per se, as we actually just recently launched our app and website in October 2020, but we surely plan on doing so somewhere in the 2nd quarter of 2021.
What really surprised you in the food delivery sector in the last years?
Before the world was brought to a standstill by the COVID-19 pandemic, the online food delivery sector was just booming. What was really astounding in these last few years, was the smooth transition from the standard concept of restaurant dining to the concept of a convenient, home-delivered meal. With a considerable increase in working populations all over the world, customers are looking at more and more Ready-To-Eat (RTE) options that do not occupy much of their precious time.
How can our readers stay connected with you as well as your brand?
‘Order Local Goa’ has an Instagram and Facebook page through which customers and future partners can always reach out to us.
What’s the company’s goals?
By forging local partnerships all over, we want our services to be made available throughout the state of Goa so that each and every household may have the option of ordering their favourite dishes and Essentials through ‘Order Local Goa’.
What can people expect from ‘Order Local Goa’ in the future?
At ‘Order Local Goa’ we hope to always deliver the best service experience, the best food options, and the best level of convenience to our people. Only through the support of all our people can we in turn reach out to local businesses and help them not just survive, but to achieve success in their ventures. Help Us to Help You Support Local!
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