Since May 15, trading volumes and revenues at some 2,900 restaurants in Taipei and New Taipei have decreased from a week ago, according to data from iCHEF F&B POS, a management service that provides restaurants with cost and operation analyses through its point of sale system.
Last weekend, restaurants in Taipei and New Taipei saw a revenue decline of 67 percent and 62 percent, respectively, compared with the previous weekend, with the trading volume at those in Taipei dropping 47 percent, according to the statistics.
Citing the examples of Malaysia and Singapore, iCHEF said demand for food delivery and takeout is likely to soar when COVID-19 control restrictions are imposed. In those two countries, however, families opted more for "affordable" takeout meals rather than expensive food deliveries, it said.
In Singapore, while there was a marked increase April 7-June 1 last year in the number of restaurants offering takeout, their revenues declined 44 percent and their trading volume dropped 28 percent, year on year, the iCHEF data showed.
Meanwhile, the number of restaurants in Taiwan that are selling food via the iCHIEF app or website has increased 10-fold since last weekend, a sign of digital transformation in the food business amid Taiwan's COVID-19 woes, the Taipei-based company said.
According iCHEF co-founder Ken Chen, most people tend to search online for restaurants that offer takeout and delivery.
"If a restaurant cannot be found on the internet, it just does not exist for some customers," Chen said.
Currently, iCHEF serves over 5,000 restaurants in Asia and helps improve their operations, according to Chen.
