Reading the Fine Print: Introduction to Food Aggregators
It’s a well-known fact that the tech world is colliding with the restaurant industry – and we are only now seeing the effects – positive and negative.The best example can be seen in the food delivery arena, where superstars like Ubereats and Foodora are shining. With so many food delivery aggregators to choose from these days, and with operators’ eager to jump on the possible profitability of these innovative methods, it’s important to remember that as an owner and operator, you must protect your business and assets as much as possible.
These new apps are a great, and innovative way to get more products to more customers in less time – so, how can you lose? The attraction is easy to see, but while these websites, apps and service providers may provide a food delivery function, they exist primarily as a marketing platform to draw more eyeballs to your menus and locations.And when confronted with the decision to sign a contract with these platforms, it can be tempting to accept the standard legal terms and conditions, possibly without even reading them, since the service seems so obvious and intuitive.
These apps have proven to be useful for an industry that does not shy from incorporating innovative solutions into their day-to-day. But just as always, restaurants should be aware of what they are signing, and what it means for business. You never want to be in a situation where you’re held responsible following late deliveries.
In the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing some thoughts and tips on how to stay safe when using this new tech for your restaurant or foodservice business.
Chad Finkelstein is a franchise lawyer at Dale & Lessmann LLP (www.dalelessmann.com) in Toronto.
Twitter.com/@ChadFinkelstein.
