While the company’s global ubiquity makes it hard to believe, Deliveroo has only existed since 2013. The fact that the company’s founders, Will Shu and Greg Orlowski, were recognised with the Best Startup Founders and Fastest Rising Startup of the Year accolades at the Europa Awards just three years later says everything about the company’s rapid rise.
Today, Deliveroo operates in over 200 cities across the UK, France, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Singapore, the UAE and Hong Kong, with 3,800 staff and 180,000 riders worldwide.
Such is the company’s influence, a UK study found that by 2017 – just four years after launch – Deliveroo has boosted the country’s food industry revenue by USD 460m.
In 2017, the company changed the game once more with the introduction of Deliveroo Editions. These delivery-only facilities allow restaurants to reach customers in various locations without the need for high-street or customer-facing premises.
As a result, restaurants can drastically reduce costs and expand into new areas without opening standard physical premises. Editions customers pay a flat fee inclusive of rent, rates, upkeep costs, marketing support, a dedicated growth manager, brand-building assistance, menu optimisation services and packaging advice.
Deliveroo Editions currently operates across 380 kitchens in five countries, serving a range of customers from startups and single-site restaurants to international brands including Pho, Honest Burger and Shake Shack.
Here in the UAE, Deliveroo operates five Editions locations, including its largest global site, a 12-kitchen facility on Hessa Street, Dubai.