Delivery drivers and take away orders ruin restaurant meals

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We don't eat out much, maybe once a month or less. When we do go, tends to be local independent restaurants. However our 4-5 most recent experiences are ruined by the revolving door of delivery drivers collecting takeaways and restaurant staff bending over backwards to meet their demand at the expense of those sitting there.

Yesterday we sat directly opposite the kitchen and watched orders for those eating in sit under hot lamps for upwards of 20 minutes whilst they packed order after order to give to the delivery drivers crowded round the door. We waited more than 15 minutes for a waiter to come to take our order, the food arrived at odd times with items missing and a couple of drinks forgotten entirely. The restaurant was at half capacity at this point.

I find it crazy that if I were to order a take away for the restaurant, it would be at my door in 30 minutes but when I am sitting right there, I spend more than half that time just trying to get their attention to place an order.

AIBU to think that the experience of eating out has ben destroyed as a direct result of the explosion of food delivery services?

Waited 40 mins in a Pizza Express for our order recently. The waitress came over to apologise that the delay was because a large Deliveroo order had come in.

locally we have loads of clusters of scooters and bikes outside a run of restaurants. It's intimidating later in the evening to walk through (there has been fighting and cat calling). I also hate that the riders keep their balaclavas and motorcycle helmets inside. Restaurants don't seem to care that all this makes eating out a less than attractive prospect.

As usual total lack of regulation and unmitigated profit generation by these companies and instant gratification being the norm undermines the social contract of acceptable behaviour. (Lol that escalated from a late pizza! But it does make me cross).

It is making me feel much better to hear of others having better experiences. I think I will just have to change my approach and like a PP suggested, if a restaurant offers delivery, swerve it or be sure it is a separate kitchen/entrance first.

A meal out is expensive and intended to be a nice experience. It really annoys me to have spent what we did yesterday to essentially have been ignored in favour of others

My favourite local restaurant is very small with only a narrow aisle between tables. It used to be a very calm, intimate place. It's been totally ruined by firstly the constant delivery notices pinging away, then the delivery people constantly coming in and out with their huge bags. They barge through, knocking into tables and shoulders, and then end up forming a line from the collection point at the back right through the restaurant, so you are eating with delivery drivers' filthy bags right next to you! It's really off putting. This particular restaurant held out against deliveries for ages but have obviously gone with it now, and staff have no time anymore to give actual diners decent attention. I've noticed similar set ups in lots of the smaller local places I used to like.

Prices have gone up, service and food quality has gone down everywhere, bad mix between deliveries being more common and food/overhead prices being inflated. It's such a shame. If I go out to eat anywhere now that has the Just Eat or whatever stickers in the window, I always try to ask for a table away from entrances, kitchens and pick up points which I'm sure makes me look very picky. If I'm paying a small fortune to eat in though, I'd rather have a peaceful experience.

Absolutely agree with this.

If you're eating out it's meant to be a treat, a bit of luxury and a pleasure - you are expecting to and happy to pay a little more for that. If it's spoiled by slow service and a queue of couriers in motorcycle helmets in the corner of the room is no pleasure at all.

We were in Zizzi recently and the above, coupled by the price and food that was worse than we could have cooked at home and not enough to fill us up has put us off ever going there again. I remember when Zizzi felt like a real treat.

No you really aren’t BU.

I worked in hospitality and it’s so difficult for the restaurant staff as well and the reason I left my last job.

The owner insisted we take every delivery order and the chefs and front of house staff were under so much pressure to look after the people dining - in whilst preparing take away orders.

it’s impossible to keep everyone happy and focusing on diners and getting the takeaways out so they are still hot and delivered on time. I would often get complaints on both sides about waiting for food and quality of meals as the chefs were rushing to cook all the orders.

In my opinion if you want to provide takeaway at the same time as having people eating - in then you need enough staff to be able to cope with the demand of both.

if you had been received better service and staff were more attentive when you visited then you might not have been as aware of the number of takeaways going out. I found when people were sitting being ignored that they had nothing to focus on and started to notice how much time the takeaway side of the business takes up.

You should consider posting a review online, I think more people should do this as I’m sure staff would appreciate it. They have likely complained to the owners about being short staff, they won’t listen till it comes from paying customers.

I worked in a popular high St bakery/takeaway and there has been a big rise in just eat/delivered orders. The products are more expensive and there is a delivery charge top. The price can be almost double what you would pay by collecting it yourself.(so much for the cost of living crisis!!) I rarely go to McDonald's but now it takes much longer to get your order because they are prioritising delivery orders.
I think people will get.fed up of it all eventually and start patronising places that offer a traditional service

Takeaway breakfasts are more popular now, many people don't drive or are too hungover to so get one from a greasy spoon or McDonalds etc. They must make a lot of money from the deliveries

admittedly I use Uber eats for the smaller takeaways or macdonalds where there are several ways to go in and eat or takeaway anyway, but I would never knowingly use it for a proper restaurant.

Yes! We complained about this once in a Wagamamas as the service was so, so bad. The restaurant wasn't busy, yet we waited so long for our meals (some on our table waited over an hour from ordering!). We could see the endless stream of drivers coming in to collect takeaways and it was clear the staff were prioritising those. They were very dismissive of our complaint and in the end very reluctantly gave us a discount from our meal (after first offering us a bottle of wine - none of us were drinking wine, and we wanted to leave, not stay for a glass of wine).

Gosh, I've obviously been lucky in my choices. Didn't even think about it, but I've never been to restaurants who accept Deliveroo. Maybe smaller towns are less affected.

Thanks, good to hear your opinion from the other side of it. It explains why I feel uncomfortable asking them to remove the service charge - the people who were serving us were rushed off their feet and no doubt exhausted but it really does grate that the deliveries seemed to take priority. And yes, I imagine if staff had taken our order when we were ready, we wouldnt have been watching them serve driver after driver whilst trying to get their attention as we would have been busy in our own conversation

I had that same experience a few years ago in a small town. Not noticed it much where I live as I mostly go out in the city where it happens but the restaurants are big enough to handle it.

I think I am very fussy, because I find the idea of a fried breakfast that has been transported before I eat it pretty revolting!

The one that always amazes me is all the delivery drivers coming out of costa and starbucks. People must be paying so incredibly over the odds for really mediocre coffee and pastries.

The equivalent in Malta is Bolt food. Last time I went there, a restaurant I like wouldn't take a booking for me, a single person eating by myself, so I ordered a meal to be delivered to my hotel. If I'd been able to eat there they'd have profited by my ordering drinks as well.

YABU - it's not the drivers, but restaurant management surely? Even our small local takeaway has a back door and separate queue for them.
The ticket system includes All orders so there's no reason for them to have ignored you.

Did you say anything at the time!

I agree. I also think it unhygienic because many of these drivers wonder into kitchens or place their filthy food boxes on tables or areas where there’s food. There needs to be separate areas for deliveries at least. The mopeds mounting and speeding on pavements is also a massive problem.

I must be really rural because we have NO delivery services here apart from one local Chinese takeaway who runs its own service....which is pretty amazing as we are only a 20 minute drive away from the local big city in an affluent area. I would KILL for a macs delivery.

I agree, & not just with restaurants. In my small local Co-op I've had to wait quite a few times to be served while staff sorted orders for delivery.

@MoreDangerousThanAWomanScorned They charge a fortune, I made the mistake of getting a starbucks delivery once as was desperate for a bacon roll and had nothing in.. it was £20 for a coffee, bacon roll and sausage sandwich! Never again 😂 They're making a fortune from it
And I get what you mean about fried breakfast transported. I've never had the full breakfast delivered and not a fan of egg anyway so not sure what that would be like but I've had breakfast baps delivered and they were nice. There's a place round here that do very well delivering full breakfast though, in the evening they deliver roast dinners!

But this way they got your food order for one, plus a food and drinks order for two - so they are up two food orders and one drinks order.

I'm not saying I agree with it - I often eat solo - but they don't want one person taking up a table that could have two people at it. And if they are refusing your booking, it means they are confident they would get the table filled.

if you had been received better service and staff were more attentive when you visited then you might not have been as aware of the number of takeaways going out. I found when people were sitting being ignored that they had nothing to focus on and started to notice how much time the takeaway side of the business takes up.

This is exactly it. My lovely local Thai restaurant is going this way - it's another narrow-ish restaurant with tables either side of a narrow-ish aisle. The last couple of times we've eaten there it has taken forever for them to get round to taking our drinks and food order and I've noticed just how many delivery drivers are in and out (and, yes, leaving the door open is really obvious as well!). If they took our drinks order and brought our drinks over when we arrived, we'd be relaxed and chatting and much less likely to notice the takeaways!

You need to live in my (SW) town, OP. Uber and Deliveroo don’t exist here!

I totally agree. I went to a lovely, small independent restaurant recently and had a table by the door which I was happy with, until the door kept flying open and slamming shut with endless delivery drivers. There was nowhere for them to wait so they just stood around next to people eating with their massive bags. I'd been to the same restaurant one year earlier and there were no delivery drivers. I appreciate that their business appeared to be booming on that random Tuesday night and I was pleased to see that, but the atmosphere was ruined and we wouldn't go back.

I've also noticed it in places like Starbucks. A few times we've popped in quickly to grab a takeaway coffee thinking there's no queue, and then we've waited for a good 10-15 mins while they pack up endless Deliveroo and Uber deliveries. It's annoying, plus I find it a bit bizarre that someone is getting a coffee delivered.

I have never said it was the fault of the delivery drivers. Or the restaurant staff serving us for that matter. They are all doing the jobs they are paid to do in order to make a living. As a PP said, it is a case of 'don't hate the player, hate the game'. The result of that game is our rare treat is no longer an enjoyable experience.

I do wonder how so many afford to have every whim delivered as the cost adds up really quickly, especially in a CoL crisis