"When did dinner stop being an occasion and become just another transaction? The convenience of delivery apps has quietly hollowed out one of America's most beloved rituals, Ellen Cushing writes. What began as a clever fix for busy eaters has transformed how we dine: Nearly three out of every four restaurant orders are now eaten somewhere else. Dining rooms sit half empty while chefs design dishes that can survive the journey to the customer's home, and some waiters stand behind counters instead of beside tables."
"The rise of DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub has changed not just the economics of restaurants, but also their purpose. "A restaurant that doesn't serve people isn't really a restaurant-it's something else," Ellen writes. What was once a shared act of care-welcoming people in and serving them freshly made food-has evolved into a system designed for speed, not connection. Derek Thompson anticipated this shift in 2019, describing how meal-delivery apps came to symbolize what he calls "convenience maximalism"-"
Food delivery apps have shifted American dining from shared, in-restaurant experiences to mostly at-home orders, with nearly three of four restaurant orders consumed elsewhere. Dining rooms sit half empty while chefs alter menus to withstand transport and service staff move behind counters. Delivery platforms reshaped restaurant economics and purpose, centering speed and instant gratification in how people eat. Venture capital and platform growth normalized convenience maximalism while obscuring the costs borne by workers, small businesses, and communities. Delivery provided crucial support during the pandemic but now strains restaurants and redefines care and hospitality as transactions.
Read at The Atlantic
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