Meal delivery platform Deliveroo has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at helping the devastated hospitality industry after social distancing measures left the sector in shambles.

When eat-in dining became one of the first things to go under the Australian Government’s social distancing measures, many restaurants and cafes lost their main source of income overnight.

And with the upcoming JobKeeper payments not scheduled to begin until early May, many businesses are feeling the squeeze.

To help restaurants improve cashflow, Deliveroo is shifting to daily payments, which will allow restaurants to receive money made from deliveries within a week. The new service is free of charge, and Deliveroo will cover the increased banking charges for rapid payments.

Additionally, as of next week, customers will be able to tip the restaurant when ordering on Deliveroo. The tipped amount will not be subject to commission, and Deliveroo will match the first 10,000 tips made in order to further stimulate the struggling restaurant sector.

“Many Australians in the food and hospitality industry have been hurt by the COVID-19 crisis and our focus is on how best we can support our restaurant partners to adapt quickly during this time,” Deliveroo chief executive Ed McManus said. 

The service provider has released a guidebook covering financial resources and best practices to help restaurants new to delivery.

While Deliveroo is one of the bigger players in the meal delivery market, it isn’t the only one trying to support the industry. 

Brisbane-based Bopple has waived its subscription fees for 1-3 months to try to help struggling restaurant partners, and doesn’t charge commission fees that larger players do.

Online ordering platform Order Up! has waived the cost of setup, and has reduced other fees, to help get more businesses onboard. Order Up! also partnered with Bolt Bikes, an e-bike provider, to allow cafes and restaurants to retain staff as delivery drivers.

Additionally, new businesses are forming to tackle the challenges faced by the industry. 

Australian brewery Coopers, influencer marketing platform Scrunch and curation platform xxtracreamy have partnered to create Delivered – a centralised hub detailing service offerings of more than 300 venues across Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart.

“Aussies are navigating uncharted waters, particularly those in the hospitality business, and for many it’s quite scary,” Scrunch founder Danielle Lewis said. 

“[We] developed Delivered in the hope we can connect those hungry for a good meal while in isolation with amazing local food and beverage venues across the nation.”