Eternal-owned Zomato has launched a pilot program called Zomato Now, installing food vending machines at corporate offices in Gurugram to provide instant access to meals from high-quality brands and restaurants. The initiative targets office-goers, offering food delivery in zero minutes through these fresh food pods, marking Eternal's third attempt at quick food delivery, according to medianama.com.
The vending machines, placed in partnership with various food and restaurant brands, allow employees to pick meals directly from the pods without waiting for delivery. This follows previous efforts by Eternal, including Blinkit's Bistro, which offers 10-minute food delivery via cloud kitchens, and the now-defunct Zomato Quick, a 15-minute delivery service shut down last year due to profitability challenges and infrastructure limitations, as reported by Economic Times and medianama.com.
Eternal's repeated ventures into rapid food delivery highlight ongoing challenges in the sector, particularly the difficulty of achieving profitability without compromising customer experience. Deepinder Goyal, Eternal's co-founder and former Group CEO, noted that current restaurant density and kitchen infrastructure are inadequate for consistent 10-minute deliveries. Competitors like Swiggy are also expanding their 10-minute delivery services, intensifying competition in the quick commerce food segment.
Zomato has not publicly commented on the Zomato Now pilot, and the company’s earlier quick delivery services were discontinued within months. The pilot’s progress and potential expansion will be closely watched as the company tests this new vending machine model in Gurugram offices, according to medianama.com.