Franchise News

QSR Magazine: How Amazon’s Delivery Could Disrupt the Quick-Service Industry
With Amazon entering the picture, quick-service operators need to prepare for a seismic change in the industry.

Franchise News

With Amazon entering the picture, quick-service operators need to prepare for a seismic change in the industry.

Big-name companies like Amazon, Uber and Yelp are all helping to spread delivery service across American cities. But in late February, Amazon gave a lot of companies a run for their money by rolling out its Amazon Restaurant delivery service to many neighborhoods throughout Washington D.C.
The rollout gave Amazon Prime customers in the nation’s capital access to more than 150 restaurants. Since launching the service in Seattle in 2015, Amazon Restaurants has grown to serve Prime customers in 20 cities across the country. But most notably, however, is that this delivery service comes with the same customer service promise that loyal Amazon Prime members have come to rely on.
“Unlike some situations where a driver makes two more runs before taking the order, the reality is Amazon can’t afford to take that chance,” said Arianna Bennett, a restaurateur in Washington D.C., to QSR Magazine.
But with more and more delivery services all vying for the attention of customers, Aaron Allen, the CEO of global restaurant consulting firm Aaron Allen & Associates, expects an impending wave of consolidation among delivery service providers, eventually growing to resemble the way the market share of airlines, cell phone carriers and hotel chains is concentrated among a few large players.
So what does this mean for restaurants? Allen says they should expect a disruptive change.
“For quick service, it’s more significant and important than the drive-thru was,” Allen told QSR Magazine.
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About the Author
Nick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.