Boss’ Pizza and Chicken began in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with a mission to make the best pizza and broasted chicken around. It wasn’t long before we knew we had to help people like us that get hungry at all times of the day and night. Who said breakfast or lunch could only be during daylight hours? So, we began to offer late-night delivery, and, judging by the tremendous response, you loved it.

As we’ve grown, we haven’t abandoned our hungry late-night patrons. You can still get delicious food delivered as late as 4 am while you stay nice and cozy in your home or while you diligently work the night shift. Everyone is unique, and we all have schedules and appetites that differ from the next person. We get it, and we’ve got you covered.

Want Delivery? Be Prepared to Spend WAY More Than You Expected

We applaud the innovation that brought around delivery services where restaurants weren’t offering their own. Hey, who are we to put down another’s success? For all those workers that weren’t able to leave their stations, new moms that were already too tired to make another meal but couldn’t face having to pack up all the kids to trek down to pick up dinner, for students who studied all night before realizing they haven’t eaten in a day, or for all the people sick of the same one or two restaurants that deliver in some areas, these services were an answer to a prayer. 

Delivery services like Postmates, Uber Eats, Doordash, and more still come with fees. Most people are willing to pay some premium for convenience. However, when the nation became gripped in the very real fear of life-threatening illness or death from COVID-19, the Uber Eats delivery prices started going up. When restaurants, one of the industries hit hardest from the coronavirus outbreak, were struggling to survive, they still had to pay record fees to the delivery services because they couldn’t afford to turn down even one order.

When people don’t have a choice but to comply with the scientific and medical communities’ recommendations to stay home, should the delivery companies be gouging the very people that allow them to exist? History has proven that in times of economic hardship, some businesses will fare better than others. But is that the time to increase your prices so that it comes at the cost of the people that are already struggling the most? That sounds like price gouging.

The way a company chooses to do business with their communities, particularly during trying times, is telling. What we’ve seen since March from the Doordash delivery prices and others include:

• Inflated Fees 
• Sliding Scale Fees
• New Fees

And that’s not all.

Uber Eats Delivery Prices

To add a little more context, let’s look at how Uber Eats handled the crisis. In March, Uber Eats, the fastest-growing part of the Uber business, rolled out a new pricing structure just as the impacts of COVID-19 were beginning to be felt in the United States. There is now a delivery fee, service fee, and a small order fee. This is on top of the up to 30% that restaurants have to pay them for picking up their orders. Grubhub has also been complicit in ignoring legislation limiting fees charged during the pandemic.

Doordash Delivery Prices

Some cities have been trying to limit the price gouging by placing caps on delivery fees charged by companies like Doordash. In June of 2020, three full months into the pandemic, Doordash was valued at an astounding $16 billion, pushing it to the top of the delivery service pyramid and exceeding the 2019 valuation by $3 million. In July, after numerous restaurants shuttered permanently, and after approximately 9.7 million Americans were without jobs, Doordash admitted to violating the ordinance capping delivery fees in San Francisco. They vowed to issue refunds, but the question remains: why do that in the first place?

Postmates Delivery Prices

In July, Uber purchased Postmates for $2.65 billion. Again, despite caps put in place on delivery fees by many cities, both Grubhub and Postmates chose to ignore them. Postmates even went so far as to petition against the caps. In Washington D.C., Postmates was still charging struggling restaurants up to 33% in commission fees one month after the mayor signed legislation capping restaurant commissions at 15%. Why support a company that purposely ignores efforts to help the very businesses, the restaurants, that the delivery services depend upon?

The Better Option: Order Direct

We aren’t saying that you should never use a delivery service. According to where you live, some restaurants may not offer their own delivery option. In other cases, some areas may have minimal delivery availability other than a third-party service. However, if available, the better option is to order directly from the restaurant. There are many reasons for this:

• It is in their best interest to provide prompt, accurate service to their customers. 
• Direct delivery is almost always cheaper than third-party delivery.
• Restaurants need all the help they can get now, particularly independent ones.
• Customers genuinely want to support their local businesses.
• The delivery services won’t miss the business.

Many businesses did not spend a tremendous amount of time or money advertising their delivery service options before the pandemic. If you are in doubt whether your local restaurant delivers, ask. Even some businesses that didn’t offer it before instituted no-contact delivery and curbside pickup to serve their customers during the quarantine efforts. Without your support, many of these restaurants may be in jeopardy. 

Boss’ Pizza and Chicken Won’t Charge You More to Stay Safe

At Boss’ Pizza and Chicken, we know that we are in a crisis. While we may have differing opinions on the health risks of COVID-19, no one can ignore the economic impact it has had worldwide. We want to support all our customers and limit your exposure so that we can stem the spread of the virus. So, we have taken numerous steps to serve and safeguard our customers and employees during this time. 

All our employees wear gloves and masks. The restaurant is cleaned and disinfected regularly. Additionally, we have added non-contact delivery to our service offering. You have the option of paying online and allowing the delivery driver to leave your order on your doorstep. If you are feeling symptoms, we ask that you be courteous and help protect our employees and other customers by limiting contact. 

We know times are hard for some, and we won’t gouge you with senseless delivery fees or inflated demand pricing. Our restaurants are doing their part to keep our customers fed when they are hungry while keeping them and our employees safe and healthy. Until we can be together again, we’ll keep sending your favorites your way. Order online today for hot, delicious food delivered to your door from one of our six locations in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. 

Featured Image: Shutterstock / Andrew Angelov

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