Thailand-based eatigo, a restaurant reservation app that provides up to 50% discounts on food at certain restaurants, has forayed into the Indian market and plans to expand its operations in Asia.
The app has started with a list of 300 leading restaurants where diners can get at least 10% discount at any point in the day but a reservation in the off-peak hours can fetch one 50% discount on food. By the year-end eatigo, which is funded and backed by TripAdvisor, plans to have 700 to 1,000 restaurants in Mumbai and Pune, Siddhanta Kothari, CFO, eatigo International Pte. Ltd., said.
“We help restaurants to improve their yield by driving traffic during off-peak hours,” Mr. Kothari said. “The heavy discounts on food prompt many people to change their timing of having a lunch or dinner at a popular restaurant. Our objective is to connect empty tables to empty stomachs and in the process, every one gains.” The app charges a fee from the restaurant.
The rollout of its services in India follows its successful introduction in five key markets in south east Asia which includes Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Philippines, where eatigo provides reservations at 2,000 restaurants, company officials said.
“The basic difference between us and other food ordering apps in the market is that we guarantee a discount and help in filling empty seats at restaurants while others just connect diners with restaurants. We offer time based discount and help in yield management and improving table turnover,” Mr. Kothari said.
He said though hotels and airlines have mastered the skill to sell their inventory at different price points to improve their yield, it was yet to be implemented in the restaurant sector. “We are popularizing it through the discounts,” he said.
As part of its expansion strategy in India, the company which has raised funds to the tune of $15.5 million, recently acquired the operations of Ressy, an Indian online restaurant reservation platform which is now helping eatigo to grow its base in the country.
Published - July 15, 2017 09:07 pm IST
