There is a very endearing scene in the Ralph Fiennes-starring black comedy The Menu, where Fiennes plays a celebrity chef. Throughout the film, he serves various courses of haute cuisine in an intriguing manner to a group of mostly super-rich, middle-aged, pretentious guests. Towards the end, Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays a young woman in her early 20s, accosts the intimidating chef, telling him point blank that his cooking is loveless and that each of his dishes feels like "an intellectual exercise rather than something meant to sit and enjoy". The stunned chef asks her what she wants, and she replies, "A cheeseburger". Once he prepares it, she further embarrasses him by telling him she wants it "to go" and escapes the fancy but oppressive setting.
This scene conveys how modern-day youngsters (Generation Z or iGen, as they are called) view food—taste and convenience being the paramount factors. This is a constant insight we also gather when analysing our consumer data. It was the recurrent theme of this insight in our consumer behaviour analyses that led us to start Bolt, a service that delivers quick-to-prepare meals from popular restaurants within a 2-km radius of the consumer in around 10 minutes.
Needless to say, some of the most popular national and international Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) are our partners in this service. Based on data from the first two months (since the service was launched in December), we see that customers, to use McDonald's parlance, are "Loving it". The majority of orders come from customers who can be classified in the post-millennial generation—those born in the mid-1990s to early 2010s.
Most of the orders are placed on weekdays, which is understandable. As youngsters get ready for work, they need a quick breakfast or a coffee break between presentations. Some of the most popular restaurants include McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, and Subway. Domino's, of course, makes a presence in almost all cities—after all, eating a pizza with colleagues during a work break, or even while attending a never-ending Zoom call, is not only convenient but also convivial.
There is, of course, recreational demand as well. Samosas, during tea time, are particularly popular. Hats off to upcoming chains such as Samosa Party, which have recognised this demand and created well-thought-out menus, such as baskets of small cocktail samosas, which sell very well on Swiggy. For example, on New Year's Eve, garlic breadsticks, cheesy dips, and choco lava cakes became the most ordered items—unsurprisingly, as the main course can wait, but partying and snacks should continue uninterrupted!
In a way, this 10-minute service complements the very purpose of Quick Service Restaurants, which came into existence to cater to consumers who are often on their way to work, taking a short lunch break, and want a quick, hygienic snack or meal that can be eaten with minimal or no cutlery. Since the QSR category constitutes some of the most popular restaurants on Swiggy, it is only fitting that we ensure timely deliveries. In our consumer studies, we have been asked: What is the point of ordering from McDonald's if the food takes 30 minutes to arrive, when in an actual restaurant it can be served in 5-7 minutes? We appreciate the concern, which is why Bolt was introduced—ensuring food is prepared on priority and delivered quickly by the nearest partner.
If we're honest with ourselves, we will realise that today's generation is not acting any differently. In every era, the prime-age working generation, which is the main contributor to the economy, is always looking for quick, hygienic, and delicious nourishment. While fast food’s origins may be associated with the sedentary and profligate British nobility (the Earl of Sandwich’s love for gambling led him to ask his butler to serve him meat between loaves of bread, thus giving birth to the eponymous fast food), some of the most famous popular food—be it marinara pizza, which was eaten by busy but poor sailors who couldn’t always afford cheese, or our very own pav bhaji, which was created to cater to the needs of Mumbai’s textile workers, who often worked late into the night—started out for convenience but have become incredibly popular all over the world. The vada pav is a similar case. It may have originated from the need for convenient eating but is now regarded as one of the best burgers in the world—"a real burger, not a fancy deconstructed one," as Anya Taylor-Joy says in that scene.
Swiggy’s Bolt is our modest attempt to add convenience for today’s working-age generation.
Until next time-
Rohit
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