Takeaway's the way forward

Drawing a pattern between the increasing number of two wheelers speeding for deliveries and the comparatively empty cafes and restaurants, we might have found a trend!

Youngsters today prefer ordering food in the comforts of their home and relishing it by catching up on their favourite TV show or a movie. Getting ready and heading out to face the peak hour traffic is a big NO NO for the lazy lot.

We catch up with youngsters to find out what is stopping them from enjoying the cosy ambience and variety of cafes spread across the city. Ann Mary Ninan, a final year BA student from St. Joseph’s College, says, “I love hanging out in cafes but being a final year student, I hardly get any time to go out and eat. So I prefer dining in at home. 

Who has the time and patience to get ready and sit through crazy traffic? There is no denying that cafes in this city are made cosy and almost meets the comfort a home provides. But I would much rather stay at home, in my pajamas, and enjoy the variety I can choose from, that food delivery apps offer. The only time that I actually prefer going out is when I am meeting a friend or when we have a celebration.”

Some are surprised to notice that they are unconsciously following this trend. Joji A Jacob, a guest relation executive, believes that he is an extremely outgoing person but orders in food 70 per cent of the time. He says, “I do love visiting new cafes and restaurants. But, I think I order in food a lot more than I actually go out. I didn’t realise this until someone actually had a conversation about this. I always thought I ate out more than I ordered in. The reasons could vary from laziness, which it is on most instances, to me being occupied with work and not having the leisure to step out. It saves me a lot of time and energy, in terms of getting ready and facing the hideous traffic to reach the location. I also think it might be a cheaper option.”

This trend, followed by increasingly few youngsters, seems to be pushing others to follow suit.  How many of us are comfortable having a meal in the restaurant or a cafe all by ourselves? And what do we do if our friends are bailing out of the plan? The answer was ‘order in’ for most youngsters.

Steve Johnson, an MA student from Jain College, is forced to fall in line with this trend. He says, “I love going to cafes and restaurants, enjoying the ambience of the place while I savour my food. But I don’t think it is the same to eat alone as it is to eat with friends. On the other hand, my friends prefer ordering food home instead of going out. There are very few times when all of them agree with the idea of visiting a cafe or a restaurant. Most of the times they tend to back out and we end up not going anywhere. Off late, it is very rare that I visit a place for a meal, we order in food that we like from any of our favourite restaurants.”

Gopeekrishnan, the owner of a cafe in Koramangala agrees to this pattern. He says, “Online sales are a lot more today. The main reason for this is that they can avail a lot of offers while ordering food. Food start-ups market it really well too. There have been several instances when customers have told me that they do get the same food for much cheaper when they order in. And of course, people are a lot lazier today; they prefer the comforts of their home.”