Mr Yum food ordering platform arrives in South Africa

The service is positioned as a low-cost alternative to UberEats and Mr D Food, with venues charged only 7.5% compared to the up to 30% commissions associated with other delivery platforms.

Notably, Mr Yum is not a delivery service, but rather it allows restaurants to cut out the middleman and run their own deliveries while allowing for simple online ordering and payment.

There’s no app to download. The platform is completely web-based and offers customers the choice of delivery to their door or pick up at the venue, as well as contactless menus and payments when in table dining re-opens.

The platform offers visual menus with photos of each dish, up to five language translations, ingredient definitions for those more exotic dishes, and dietary filters (veg, vegan, GF).

From Australia to SA

Mr Yum, an Australian startup, launched two years ago and now supports over 1,000 restaurants in Australia. "We are excited to bring this robust platform to South Africa and hope to offer financial relief to the restaurant industry here,” said COO Gary Harrod, part of a team of South African founders who have partnered with Mr Yum.

The local team said that while SA's struggling restaurant trade experienced some relief in May when venues were permitted to offer delivery services, the commissions and fees charged by popular app delivery platforms have made them unfeasible for many outlets.

“By using Mr Yum, customers are taking less money away from local restaurants so venues make more money. It’s cheaper for the user too. Margins were thin before the crisis. Our infrastructure will enable a sustainable business model. The price is long-term and is not a Covid-19 special," Harrod said.

Venues share their Mr Yum link on their website, Instagram and Facebook pages and it will also pop up when customers search for their favourite spots on Google. Customers wanting to #SupportLocal, simply click on that restaurant’s Mr Yum link which will take them to the menu. They order, pay, then receive a text confirmation and a tax invoice.

“Our platform empowers restaurants to take back ownership of their customer relationship. We provide the infrastructure they need to remain operational, make and serve delicious food and as a result, employ their staff in these tough times. Venues deliver their delicious food, we provide the tech infrastructure," Harrod said.

According to the company, sign-up is free and venues get unlimited support at no cost. There is no lock-in contract and no upfront costs. Venues can apply through Mr Yum SA’s website sa.mryum.com.