// Takeaway Time is a new website from a local husband and wife team, aiming to help struggling local restaurants…
When social distancing laws were first implemented to combat COVID-19, restaurants were one of the key industries to be hit.
Many local restaurants were forced to close their doors for a time, while others are still struggling to survive this difficult time.
This led local startup husband and wife team Jon and Claire Aindow to develop a tech solution – which became Takeaway Time – a website to help restaurants fund customers for takeaway food.
The Idea
“A few weeks ago, as part of my now daily 6am walk, the day after the regulations changed for those businesses in WA, we went to get a coffee and then a juice in two cafes local to my WFH location,” Claire told Startup News.
“The terror in the eyes of the owners was pretty heartbreaking. This converged with my husband’s business volume also falling off the edge of a cliff and him wanting to keep his small design staff in jobs and maintain his sanity.”
Claire Aindow
“That’s the personal angle,” said Claire. “The bigger picture is that as with a lot of people here, I own a house and a vibrant cafe culture is intrinsically linked to the value (my read on Perth is that property prices really really drive sentiment and stimulate the economy here).
“For future economic and social development of Perth as a vibrant place to visit, work and live, these places need to survive. Not sure where we might do business ‘catching up for a coffee’ if these businesses don’t survive.”
The Site
Using the skills and resources the couple have access to, the Takeaway Time site was born.
The website contains GPS Integration and listing capability to provide a resource where independent restaurants can promote their food.
The website is similar to Uber Eats, except it doesn’t take 30%-40% off the top.
“These businesses are cash constricted and don’t have the margin to cover the additional costs coming out for extra packaging etc., which is undoubtedly an issue many food businesses are facing right now,” said Jon.
The site was built and launched within a week using some existing tech,” said Jon. “It’s by no means perfect, but we took an agile approach, feeling that speed surpassed perfection. We will be refining as we go…”
Jon Aindow
So far, promotion of this new service has been limited to small business groups and various social groups. There are loads more Claire and her team want to do with the site, but for now it’s out there, and her wish is for the Perth startup community to support and use the site, and in so doing support your local coffee shop or restaurant.
Right now, there is a quick and easy way to have your takeaway or restaurant option listed on the site, by simply filling out some key details about your business. Do tell them about it, if they’re not on there.
The site is a work in progress, but with the refinement of more and better content, the more comfortable people will become on being on there, and using it. This is a perfect opportunity to share the work that has been put together on such short notice to assist the struggling local food business.
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Visit the Takeaway Time website, here.
For more detailed information, you can contact Jon Aindow by email at [email protected].
MAIN IMAGE: Takeaway Time Logo, supplied.
