'Game changer': Rotorua restaurants welcome Uber Eats to town

Mamma Rosa Pizzeria & Restaurant head chef Veena was ready to serve Uber Eats customers. Photo / Andrew Warner

Close to 30 local restaurants have signed up to delivery provider Uber Eats with one calling it a "gamechanger" for the industry.

The app that offers a delivery service for local restaurants and customers launched in Rotorua today.

Uber Eats is already based in seven locations across the country with an additional three rolling out today. Giovanni's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria and Mamma Rosa Pizzeria & Restaurant owner Deep Kumar signed up to the app describing it as a "gamechanger".

Kumar owned restaurants across the country that had already got on board with the delivery service and said it had made a "huge difference" to his takeaway percentage.

"We are currently doing about 20 per cent takeaways here in Rotorua... I expect we will see that number rise as people get the hang of it [Uber Eats]."

It was a comfortable way for people to order food, especially in the winter months, he said.

He said they were "pretty excited" and hoped it would help some businesses in a post-Covid world.

"It's good for the city in a lot of ways, for one it will be creating jobs for people."

Guido Bachmann from Guidough's Bakery. Photo / File

Eateries can connect with the Uber Eats platform to drive demand into their restaurants and connect with delivery partners close by.

Owner of Guidough's Bakery Guido Bachmann said he had been approached by Uber Eats before lockdown as people had requested his business to offer delivery.

Post-lockdown Bachmann had introduced an online ordering system where people could come and pick up their baked goods.

It had been "extremely successful", but also quite stressful for his team to ensure all of the orders were ready and numbers were right, he said.

"We'd never done anything like that before."

An upside was many of his baked goods that did not do too well in the store sold incredibly online, he said.

Bachmann had a custard and whipped cream topped brioche with crumble topping called a Bee Sting that had never sold much in store. However, as he moved online, the treat sold "like crazy" and flew out the door, he said.

"It will be interesting to see if there will be many others like this on the Uber Eats app."

Abracadabra Cafe had signed up to delivery services in the past, but thought "why not expand and reach more customers", manager Kate Turner said.

She said in the winter months and over level 3 delivery was hugely attractive and boosted trade for the cafe.

"When people don't want to leave the house on a cold winter night, this is a good option."

She said they welcomed any extra business in the quieter season.

This was the second food delivery service to launch in the city with Deliver Eats starting up last year. It offered food deliveries from more than 30 local restaurants.

Working the same way Uber Eats does, orders can be made on the downloadable app and delivery times could be scheduled.

WHAT'S AVAILABLE ON UBER EATS ROTORUA:

- Dunkin Donuts
- Ben and Jerrys
- Chimney Indian Restaurant
- LJ's
- Carl's Jnr
- The Cheesecake Shop
- Saigon '60s Vietnamese Cuisine
- PitaPit
- Guidoughs
- Subway
- Smokers&Grillers
- Kebab Kitchen
- Wendy's
- Sequoia Eatery
- Wild Bean Cafe
- El Mexicano Zapata
- The Coffee Club
- Mamma Rosa
- Epiphany Cafe
- Hell Pizza
- Nando's
- Capizzi Pizzeria
- Giovanni's
- &Rice Japanese Kitchen
- Abracadabra Cafe
- Farmside Buffet
- Seoul Korean Restaurant

HOW TO ORDER ON UBER EATS:

- Download the Uber Eats app or head to the Uber Eats website to order online.

- Sign in using your Uber account or sign up to create a new one.

-Provide your address – add your home, work or any other address you'd like.

-Browse local restaurants

- Check out with a tap – pay with your card on file.

-Track your order – watch as your order gets picked up and delivered to you.

- Rate your food and delivery.

- Share your unique code with your friends or family.