Steel fails to seal deal as ideal food delivery option

PUNE: Though forced to use them, the restauranteurs in the city have not taken a shine to the steel tiffin boxes currently being used for home delivery of food.

While the government has verbally allowed eateries to use recyclable containers, in the absence of an official notification, the restauranteurs are wary. With no alternative to plastic containers, they are resigned to the steel tiffin box delivery system that the restauranteurs admit is inconvenient, expensive and cumbersome.



For home deliveries, the eateries pack their food in steel lunch boxes and give the boxes to delivery personnel. Once the delivery person reaches a customer’s home, the contents of the box are supposed to be transferred into containers belonging to the customer. The delivery person must return with the box, which is washed and refilled for the next delivery.

Ganesh Shetty, the president of Pune Restaurants and Hoteliers’ Association (PRAHA) and owner of Kalinga restaurant, said “There have been instances of food and oil spillage. Also, often the domestic helps at homes refuse to empty the contents into other containers and return the steel boxes to delivery boys due to lack of instructions from their employers.” He added that walk-in customers are also asked to make a deposit of Rs 200-Rs 250, depending on the size of the box for takeaways.

“Though takeaway customers deposit an amount with us, we expect them to return the boxes as soon as possible. But that does not happen all the time,” agreed Roopraj Shetty, owner of Navmi Garden on Nagar Road.

PRAHA vice-president Vikram Shetty said the method was also delaying orders as a lot of time is spent on sending the food in boxes and then cleaning the boxes before delivering the next order.

Meanwhile, Dinesh Hegde, owner of Sharavan, said his restaurant is making deliveries in paper containers. Delivery of curries is a problem, he said. “We tried to place an order for steel boxes, but the kind we want is currently unavailable. We want single boxes, but only expensive two or three-deck boxes, are available,” he said.