this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2026
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Restaurants say big chains pretend to be independents on apps (www.bbc.co.uk)
submitted 3 weeks ago by sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al to c/technology@beehaw.org
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[–] r00ty@kbin.life 67 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Peter Backman, CEO of theDelivery.World, said the practice was only misleading if customers were purposely trying to support independent restaurants and takeaways.

That's some high grade bullshit. There is going to be a subset of people (and I'd argue it's a growing number) that want to support local businesses and so yes it's misleading to all those people.

But more than that. A corporate/franchise brand has such a huge value they will sue you if you use it without permission. So if they're choosing not to use a brand they paid good money to use, it can only be because they want to deceive.

[–] sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al 23 points 3 weeks ago

I genuinely thought a bunch of new businesses were opening locally and wanted to support them for their longevity, it's only reading this that I realise they're all just brands. It's incredibly deceptive and they absolutely shouldn't be legally allowed to get away with it.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 38 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I thought this was well known? It started really gearing up during COVID.

Chuck E. Cheese was selling pizza under the monicker of "Pagliuchi's Pizza" or some shit.

[–] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 30 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Sometimes those are the chains directly... More often they're just ghost kitchens. Someone else owns the brand, and has an already established kitchen make the food for delivery apps, and they take a cut from the sale.

Many ghost kitchens aren't even normal restaurants you would drive to, they're just commercial kitchens in generic business space that make food for a dozen or so ghost kitchen brands.

[–] TimeSquirrel@kbin.melroy.org 19 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The restaurant equivalent of fly by night bootleg brand stores on Amazon.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I love when my pizza place is a series of random consonants IN ALL CAPS.

[–] I_am_10_squirrels@beehaw.org 3 points 3 weeks ago

series of random consonants

I want Italian pizza, not Polish

[–] TehPers@beehaw.org 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 3 weeks ago

Sorry my memory wasn't good here, it was Pasqually's Pizza.

[–] dumples@piefed.social 21 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I try to avoiding ordering from the apps and prefer to order directly from the location. I have to pick it up but you save time and money. But I don't always have the time to do that.

I don't really understand how virtual brands and ghosts kitchen are allowed on the apps. It feels ridiculous

[–] Scrollone@feddit.it 5 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

Pizzerias in Italy have been delivering for ages without apps. I don't understand why everybody uses apps now.

[–] Brosplosion@lemmy.zip 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Cause staffing and paying deliver drivers is more expensive than subcontracting, sadly

[–] tyler@programming.dev 1 points 3 weeks ago

It’s not, but they get more business on the apps, even if the apps take a massive cut.

[–] B0rax@feddit.org 4 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Because with an app you can open it and see all Restaurants that deliver to you and see what they have to offer.

I simply don’t know an alternative that offers a comparable user experience.

[–] Scrollone@feddit.it 6 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, but still. After a while you get to know which restaurants you like. And you can call them directly without giving money to big companies.

[–] prex@aussie.zone 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Google maps?

[–] B0rax@feddit.org 1 points 3 weeks ago

Maybe I didn’t see it, but Google Maps does not have a filter for places that do delivery. It also does not show the menu. Maybe the restaurant has a link in the description, but that is often not the case.

[–] tyler@programming.dev 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Google maps does the same thing…

[–] B0rax@feddit.org 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Maybe I didn’t see it, but Google Maps does not have a filter for places that do delivery. It also does not show the menu. Maybe the restaurant has a link in the description, but that is often not the case.

[–] tyler@programming.dev 2 points 3 weeks ago

Probably depends on the restaurant if the menu is up to date, but this was the first one I clicked on and it has the menu listed multiple times in multiple places.

The delivery filter is in the scrollbar below the map

[–] dumples@piefed.social 3 points 3 weeks ago

Some of the pizza places by me have delivery people still. I use them often

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 3 weeks ago

pizza and asian near me.

[–] Scrath@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 weeks ago

I find apps very useful for discovering places I can order from. Typically I will then visit their own website and see if they are cheaper when ordering directly

[–] xep@discuss.online 2 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Don't use delivery apps. Cook your own meals, it's both cheaper and better for your health.

[–] Hirom@beehaw.org 13 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Food to go is a good option on days when cooking is not convenient/possible. You can order by calling the restaurant directly over the phone, go pick it up and see the restaurant and its owner/employee face to face, so you'll see if that's a chain. There's no delivery nor app fee. It encourage walking and support nearby restaurants.

Of course cooking is preferable, but it's not possible everyday for everyone.

[–] PaddleMaster@beehaw.org 1 points 3 weeks ago

Agree big time. Or order directly from the restaurant. I usually call, then pick up. I get the food faster, and I know nobody has tampered with it.

Only time I’d even consider using delivery app is if my extremely sick. Even then, I have some canned soups ready to go.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 3 weeks ago

Is this old I seem to recall other articles about these kind of shenanigans.