Wolt removes commission fees on take away orders – and 16 other things we do to help restaurants in Finland

The coronavirus pandemic is hitting restaurants hard. When we stay home, restaurants stay empty. Now, restaurants rely on delivery services like Wolt more than ever. We take this responsibility seriously, and below we have listed some things every one of us can do to help restaurants through the crisis.

First 5 actions Wolt is taking to help restaurants in Finland:

1. Restaurants pay no commission on takeaway orders. When you make an order through Wolt and pick it up yourself, 100% of what you paid goes directly to the restaurant. This change is valid for the next 60 days. (We have asked restaurants to arrange a designated pick up point for Wolt orders so that customers and courier partners can pick up orders with minimal human contact.) 
2. In the coming months, we will spend hundreds of thousands of euros to help restaurants get more orders and new customers. Right now, restaurants simply need more orders. Many restaurants have lost 50-80% of their weekly sales and they need to regain as much of it as possible. The best and most sustainable way Wolt can help increase order volumes is to invest in boosting overall demand for restaurant food.
3. We support local and independent restaurants. Independent restaurants are the most vulnerable and they are in a dire need of support. At Wolt, we will highlight local restaurants in our app, social media and marketing.
4. We are in talks with local decision makers and authorities and urge them to make decisions that will help restaurants survive the crisis – such as offering stimulus packages, lowering value added tax on food and allowing lunch benefit to be used to order home delivered food. Policy makers in Finland are at a position to help restaurants the most.
5. Restaurants will receive payouts twice a week instead of once a week. Each restaurant can decide whether they want to receive disbursements monthly, twice a month, weekly or twice a week. Globally, our restaurant partners will have quicker access to millions of euros, which will help them pay their employees and suppliers. 

6 things everyone can consider doing:

1. Instead of going to the grocery store, consider ordering food from your local restaurant either for takeaway or home delivery. You will support the restaurant while keeping human contact minimal.
2. Support local and independent restaurants. They are most vulnerable during the crisis.
3. Order food for friends who might not have the chance to order themselves.
4. Order food for grandparents or family members who are currently in isolation.
5. Order extra food next time and store it in your fridge or freezer for later. It is also environmentally friendly to deliver more food with a single delivery.
6. Buy gift cards from your favorite restaurants for yourself or your friends to use later.

6 requests to the government and decision makers:

1. Food delivery and take away orders should be allowed even in a situation where the city is in lockdown. It would help people stay home, keep the restaurant industry alive and take pressure off grocery stores.
2. Restaurants should be offered stimulus packages tailored to their needs, so that businesses can survive the coronavirus crisis with as many restaurants as possible continuing to operate through the crisis.
3. In several Wolt countries, governments have already taken measures to help the restaurant industry. These measures include:
   1. 1. Reducing value added tax (VAT) to zero percent for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. (Depending on the course of action, this will either generate more demand for restaurant food through lower prices or allow restaurants to pocket more money, if they decide not to change their prices.)
      2. Temporarily waiving obligatory social security, health care or pension fees for restaurateurs.
      3. Direct state support to partially cover lost sales, employer expenses and other fixed costs.
      4. Offering short-term or medium-term liquidity loans to alleviate temporary financial distress.

We will add ideas and initiatives to the list as we find new ways to help.

Let’s take care of each other – together we will get through this.

What other action is Wolt taking during the coronavirus pandemic? Read our blog post for more information.