Deepinder Goyal, the founder of Zomato, has stated that the food delivery platform will refrain from establishing its own restaurants or cloud kitchens due to ethical considerations. Speaking with celebrity chef Anahita Dhondy on her podcast 'Breaking Bread', Goyal emphasised the challenges of the restaurant industry and affirmed that Zomato would not venture into that domain. "We don't want to do restaurants. It's a very hard business. We don't want to compete with restaurants. Never. I think it's not ethical to do it. I mean, if we have built a platform working with you [restaurants], then we have sort of leveraged your presence to build this. We can't go back and say 'accha main bhi ye karoonga' (I will also do it). It's not ethical," he expressed to Dhondy during the conversation.
Even after Dhondy persistently questioned Goyal about his thoughts regarding the type of restaurant he would consider initiating if compelled to do so, Goyal continued to uphold his unwavering position in his reply, demonstrating his steadfastness. "Never. It's been like: no chance. Honestly, if I had to, I would still not do it. I have so much respect for restaurant owners and chefs. It's the one of the hardest businesses to run," the entrepreneur said.
He further emphasised that many individuals mistakenly believe that running a restaurant is a simple task, but this notion is incorrect. "I believe a lot of people, upon graduating or contemplating leaving their jobs, express a desire to open a restaurant. However, I am of the opinion that it's one of the most challenging ventures ever conceived. Therefore, I urge you not to view it lightly, as there are numerous complexities involved," he remarked.
"I would say every single business needs a certain amount of blood, sweat and tears to build. Restaurants take more blood, sweat tears to build a business. You have to be really passionate and have the energy every single day. You can't take one day off. If you take one day off, things will fall," he added.
In addition, Goyal mentioned that a significant portion of the food delivery platform's user base holds the misconception that Zomato operates the restaurants. "One of the most common complaints we receive is: 'I wasn't satisfied with the food quality.' I estimate that perhaps 30-40 per cent of our customers are under the impression that we directly prepare the food. They mistakenly assume that all the restaurants listed on our platform are owned by Zomato," Goyal explained.