Why Restaurant Owners are Turning Against Food Delivery Services
Being tagged as an “essential service” and allowed to keep doors open doesn’t mean every food business can stay afloat. Two Singaporean restaurateurs—Colin Chen from The Refinery and Anthony Yeoh of French bistro Summer Hill—hails out on social media this week, fueling a growing movement that says #savefnbsg is here to stay.
Grab’s Commission: The Real $$$ Drain
- Anthony switched off his Grab terminal after realizing the platform claims a whopping 30‑35% commission.
- The tallies? Grab’s cut + “delivery deals” + “platform discounts” fatally bleed the restaurant’s bottom line.
- Anthony complains the platform takes the money that should be keeping chefs and waiters fed.
Chen’s Cost Breakdown—Intuitive, if a bit sad
- Consumers pay the full price.
- Only ~30% goes to the restaurant.
- Delivery companies and platforms grab the rest—enough to cover their own wages.
Chen went on to explain the Food Delivery Booster Package by Enterprise Singapore: a $1.35 extra for a $41.50 order—so tiny you might forget it exists. “We’re barely getting a bite,” Chen joked.
One Message to the World: Order Directly!
Both Chen and Yeoh poured out their frustration and urged diners to ditch the delivery apps. “Buy directly from us and actually help the sector,” they wrote. Yeoh even sprouted the idea that other restaurants could use couriers or even hire their own delivery squads. The goal? Less overhead, less commission.
SaveFNBsg’s Infographic—The “Chef’s Takeaway” Reality Check
- Display of a dish’s price split between the restaurant, delivery platform, and hidden fees.
- Visual reminder that the more you use the app, the less you feed your kitchen.
Deliveroo Responds: “We’re Rolling Out More Support”
- Committed internal resources to help new restaurants onboard faster.
- Released a rapid payment service next month, allowing chefs to cash in the delivery profits weekly—so they can actually pay the power bill.
Foodpanda & GrabFood Offer Temporary Relief
- Foodpanda shortened vendor onboarding and waived registration fees. Added first‑month commission waivers for up to two outlets between April 9 and May 4.
- GrabFood discounted commission for self‑pickup orders during the circuit breaker. Also added a “Local Heroes” icon to highlight single‑outlet restaurants.
Oddle: A New Hope or Just Another Cookie Cutter?
- Flat 10% transaction fee per order.
- Delivery powered by Lalamove and Kin Shun.
- Under the Booster Package, 20% of the delivery cost is subsidised on orders until May 4.
Oddle, like its rivals, is working to speed up the onboarding process. It’s still uncertain if the semi‑cheap price tag will create a lasting shift or falls next to the big players.
Bottom Line
Restaurateurs in Singapore are now calling on diners to buy directly from them, bringing the conversation deeper into the heart – the kitchen – to fight off the scary giants of delivery apps. While companies offer small deals, the numbers still show the diners may have to pay a lot more to help free‑cook crews keep the lights on.
