Innovations And Ideas Rippling Through The F&b Sector

A look at some of the biggest innovations and ideas rippling through the F&B sector

- Mia Chenyze

There’s always been talk about the way technology and automation are going to alter the future of dining—that day has indeed arrived, at least in a southwestern corner of Singapore. But technology use these days isn’t just about pushing boundaries for its own sake, or overclocking efficiencies; it’s also about finding new solutions to be kinder to ourselves and Mother Earth. Sustainability was a major buzzword in 2017 and 2018, and it still has relevance in 2019. But instead of the piecemeal efforts by individual restaurants and manufacturers, we’re now looking at more concerted efforts to band together to tackle underlying issues head-on. Here’s what’s been brewing.

FOOD DELIVERY 3.0

In late 2015, Deliveroo’s foray into Singapore market upended food delivery services as we knew it. Instead of the usual suspects—’ordering in’ was synonymous with fast food then— Deliveroo offered an impressive selection of trendy restaurants such as Park Bench Deli and Potato Head Folks.

By further sifting through its data, Deliveroo identified customer demand for cuisines and restaurants not available in a particular area, then roped in restaurants to set up delivery only outposts in a shared kitchen hub. This Deliveroo Editions concept also tapped on the trend of virtual restaurants— popularised by Uber Eats in the United States, virtual restaurants are accessible only via delivery, and quite often, are spin-offs from existing popular restaurants. Greek restaurant Blu Kouzina, one of the early adopters locally, hauled a 550% revenue increase within four months of adding Vios, their virtual restaurant for Mediterranean grain bowls.