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posted by martyb on Thursday October 06 2016, @01:58AM   Printer-friendly
from the hot-out-of-the-oven dept.

http://newatlas.com/zume-pizza-future-pizza-delivery-robots/45698/

At first glance, it looks like a solution to a particularly first-world problem: To eliminate the sogginess in pizzas caused by dwell time (i.e. the interim period it spends waiting to be delivered), startup Zume Pizza has launched a delivery truck equipped with 56 specially designed ovens to guarantee that their pies arrive at customers' doorsteps fresh out of the oven, literally.

Only in Silicon Valley, right?

But hang on. This isn't really about lukewarm pies. It's about disrupting a US$38 billion market that is currently dominated by big-box chains. In fact, the Big Four in the US – Domino's, Little Caesars, Papa John's and Pizza Hut – currently control around 40 percent of the market. And while there are many ways to go about doing this, founders Julia Collins and Alex Garden have chosen to focus on the food-delivery experience, and for good reason: the surge in mobile ordering and demand for food delivery. In fact, digital ordering is growing 300 percent faster than dine-in traffic. At Domino's alone, more than 50 percent of its US customers order via digital platforms. Collins, who has a restaurant background, believes that Zume's advantage lies in its ability to deliver on price, quality and speed.

Customer: Why are all the toppings piled on one side? Driver: Got cut off in traffic...


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 06 2016, @08:12AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 06 2016, @08:12AM (#411012)

    First world problems are also 'third world problems'.

    For a minority of those in the third world, sure. For the majority, not.

    Those annoyances we have they have too.

    Those annoyances they also have are not the "first world problems".

    Does a lack of money and opportunity make problems less annoying?

    Yes. If you don't have the money or opportunity to get a delivery pizza, you're not annoyed about the quality of that delivery pizza you're not eating.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 06 2016, @12:34PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 06 2016, @12:34PM (#411064)

    Ah, I see. Ignorance is bliss. Those poor slobs are not annoyed because they don't know any better. Then I would posit that this makes this a much more important problem to solve and it shouldn't be relegated to a condescending remark.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 06 2016, @02:48PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 06 2016, @02:48PM (#411110)

      Reading comprehension: Failed.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 06 2016, @06:12PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 06 2016, @06:12PM (#411187)

    You missed the point. They have 'first world problems' too, which usually are little more than annoyances. However, they *ALSO* have 3rd world problems like lack of a good water source. It does not mean the sets are mutually exclusive.

    you're not annoyed about the quality of that delivery pizza you're not eating.
    Why wouldnt they be annoyed? Is pizza nonexistant in their world? "First world problems" is merely a way to set yourself above others and brush off issues as trivial. When a drone delivery system could in fact help 3rd world countries too with poor or nonexistant roads and people who will mug you for a couple of bucks.

    But crispy pizza is only something a first world person should enjoy? Am I right? /sarc

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 08 2016, @02:59PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 08 2016, @02:59PM (#411749)

      If you're poor, you don't waste money on take-out pizza (unless you are also stupid). Not to say 3rd worlders shouldn't be able to enjoy it, but due to circumstances, it isn't an option for them.