How lockdown has turned food ordering into a delicate system of navigation

It was almost as exciting as downloading Tinder for the first time to see “what’s out there”.

On May 1, finally, we could order from some restaurants again, using apps.

On Saturday a trip to Builders Warehouse to buy paint culminated in the decision to use Uber Eats again – a quick meal before covering the walls in a crisp white layer of paint.

During a lockdown with severe restrictions (and the lack of alcohol), the thrill of covering a surface with something that can potentially cause an altered state of mind, with the promise of fast food, was a rare bit of excitement in indeed worrying and troubling times.

In Pretoria’s Pierre Van Reyneveld, Cheers is a famous beacon. From stone-oven pizzas to cheap brandy specials, it’s the kind of dive where fights break out and enemies drink beers together a few minutes later. With it being closed, the other option in the centre where Cheers is situated is Taal.

With Pretoria known as the boerewors curtain, Taal can easily be mistaken for a patriotic Afrikaans shop where a Vierkleur is hanging not so ironically. But Taal is actually a local Indian restaurant (the name presumably stemming from Taal music – a classic music styling from the subcontinent of India) that makes a divine chicken palak – and a good paratha (the potato one especially).

So with the dizzying thought of getting high on paint fumes (let’s be honest, it’s actually the endorphins from physical exercise when painting) and quick food, it was a joy to see Taal on the limited list of places open in the area. The order was quickly placed and the painting started as we waited. And waited. And waited.

With lockdown level 4, and the ability to get deliveries, it is important to support family-run businesses like Taal as well as the delivery people bringing the food to you. At the same time, this delivery is a new kind of dance.

Ordering is now insane. On Uber Eats, for example, you now have so many things to go through.

For starters, until the end of the month, deliveries are free when using a promotion code. In the same breath there is lengthy info on Covid-19 as well as the option to tip the restaurant (in support of small businesses) and the delivery person in-app. With a sense of guilt you opt not to take the free delivery to instead support a business while you can.

Before food delivery opened up again, Uber Eats made its channels and registered delivery people open to delivering essential goods, to help deliver everyday products when it became possible again. Clearly it was a good testing ground for after level 5 of lockdown, since so much caution is taken delivering food now.

For fellow food delivery company Mr D the new ways of delivering are about supporting social distancing and to help flatten the curve to spread the virus. The opening up of restaurants allows Mr D to be part of a movement to help restaurants recover after an extended closure.

In a statement the company said: “Mr D Food hopes to offer a lifeline and facilitate a revenue stream for the thousands of restaurants across the country – from local neighbourhood favourites to established franchise chains – that have been impacted by the lockdown.

“As a delivery platform with a national footprint and an established audience, Mr D Food offers a built-in ecosystem which can help restaurants deliver without having to operate and maintain their own delivery service. We will also be implementing initiatives to support the restaurant industry as they reopen. As a first step, we are introducing a commission relief scheme which reduces the commission rates for the vast majority of our restaurant partners.

“We have also allocated marketing funds to drive promotional initiatives to generate orders and revenue for neighbourhood restaurants. Lastly, we will be launching a new feature in the Mr D Food app that will allow customers to support their favourite restaurants, by making a Covid-19 contribution directly to the restaurant when placing a delivery order.”

It helps restaurants like Taal, but coming back to actual delivery – damn it’s not easy, really.

Before Covid-19, ordering on Uber Eats in Irene, Pretoria was as easy as one, two, three. Now, with gates and complexes, “leave at the door” options and general unsureness about what we can and cannot do – delivery is a pure Odissi dance.

After placing the order it took about 60 minutes for pickup. This is partly due to fewer vehicles operating so no problem there – it beats standing in line at Spar. But then the delivery comes.

Entering a complex isn’t as easy as dropping the unit or lot number anymore, and the delivery guy simply phoned to ask what he should do. Realising that him finding the unit and wasting more time and petrol on his side seems pointless, one of us will just go to the gate and pick up the order. Well, that’s another five minutes of scurrying around to find a mask.

Then, setting out to the gate with the neighbourly glares of “how dare you”, culminated in picking up our order from the gate.

There are pleasantries and hellos and simply getting your food. But then comes the realities of getting back home – warm curry in hand. First, you have to go through the whole process at the gate, then the long walk of shame back home with the “how dare you be outside” glares from windows everywhere.

For the next order, plans are already in place to drive down to the gate to save me from the stares. Next time I know the order will take longer. But mostly, next time I know this is one of the few ways to support small business owners legally.

But after the ordeal, just like using Tinder, it’s all not as exciting anymore.

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