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Comment by spacephysics | Hacker News Reader

Lots of their infrastructure for handling orders (iPads, software integration into their payment system) was done around Covid, and some have started to integrate in-person orders through the same “single unified system” creating a higher and higher cost to switch delivery systems.

AFAIK there’s no well-supported open source order/delivery management software. The companies that were ready during covid took all the extra, enormous demand for building delivery and order online systems built atop a typically antiquated order management system and have stuck around since

Sometimes i’ll get a cheaper delivery/food cost calling vs ordering online, but now some places are just raising their other prices to match online

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And yet, why do you need software?

In the 80s, I delivered pizza with no software. The place had a normal cash register, for pickups.

People would call, order, and we'd write it down. They it'd go on a wire with a clothes pin, until made. Then it went with the driver.

Each delivery was written down before leaving with it.

This worked for decades for everyone in the industry, flawlessly, perfectly, without issue.

Why is software required? Any given reasons are an unneccessary complication.

And here's the thing. Even in Palo Alto I order from companies still doing it this way.

The above system, paperwork wise .. again, is perfect. It's been done forever. It is faster and far less expensive than any unified payment and order system.

Seems to me, they're the smart ones.

Everyone hates calling and apps give customers a list of restaurants with menus to browse. Restaurants also do all of their in-restaurant management with software (why not paper? ask them idk) which I assume has some integration with the app.

I can imagine some type of open protocol that lets them self-host an order service though, or at least an open solution that’s hosted by many providers and many separate apps. That would be nice for everyone

Maybe we should all make the world a better place, suck it up, and just call?

Maybe making the world a better place, means human interaction and less automation.

That would make my own world worse

Say what you will but customers pay to not suck it up

There's no reason this software has to be expensive. I'd rather fix the software in this case.

And phones in particular suck when you involve real-world connection quality and accents.

I remember when McDonald's didn't have kiosks. Human interaction with a fast food worker is vastly overrated. Both sides hated it.

as long as you've got enough order volume to keep a delivery driver consistently busy, that works fine and the apps are unnecessary. for a pizza restaurant, or anybody else focused on delivery orders, the apps aren't necessary

the utility of the apps is to distribute the load from multiple restaurants across a shared pool of delivery drivers, so a restaurant who otherwise wouldn't be able to offer delivery can tap into that labour pool for infrequent delivery orders. food delivery apps have greatly expanded the number of places that offer delivery. most restaurants simply didn't offer it before the apps.

Once you have multiple restaurants, you leave the mom and pop shop scenario, and move into realms of more sensible optimization.

But there are so many independents. And they make very good food. And they still do it without apps, and do very well.

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