> If the food costs 80% less on the app than at the register, either the restaurant is losing the lion share of its massive margins (unrealistic) or they’re just subsidizing it with investor money.
Or the materials cost is low, the unit labor cost of prep is low, but the unit labor cost of handling in house transactions and service is high, and in-house service and takeout are charged similar prices because having separate prices posted in the restaurant depresses in-house service volume and takeout unit profit without improving takeout volume to match.
(I suspect it's a little of this plus some investor business-building subsidy.)
Or the materials cost is low, the unit labor cost of prep is low, but the unit labor cost of handling in house transactions and service is high, and in-house service and takeout are charged similar prices because having separate prices posted in the restaurant depresses in-house service volume and takeout unit profit without improving takeout volume to match.
(I suspect it's a little of this plus some investor business-building subsidy.)