Food delivery reaps another viyttima in Italy. This time it’s the turn of MyMenu, operator made in Italy founded in 2013 by Edoardo Tribuzio in Padua. The company was acquired in 2021 by the Pellegrini group which has now decided to shed the "burden": put simply, the Milanese group has decided to "discontinue" the food delivery branch and concentrate in that of the company canteens. 

Actually, the decision was taken in mid-November with the agreement between mymenu and JustEat, although the official stop to deliveries was given today with losses of over 2 million Euros. In fact, the food delivery service had already been diverted to Just Eat, with the voluntary passage of restaurants and riders to the international group: a choice that involved the initiation of the procedure of collective dismissal of 23 riders and 30 employees in the various locations.

Not enough, therefore, the partnerships of high lineage that the company had fielded, as the one with Massimiliano Alajmo and Massimo Bottura and his Franceschetta58 nor the series of acquisitions including that of the Milanese Bacchette and forks and not even having worked with selected restaurants throughout Northern Italy delivering home in ten years over 5 million meals ready. 

"In a highly competitive market where there are questionable commercial practices our modus operandi certainly did not help -explains to the newspaper Avvenire Tribuzio, who remained the ceo of MyMenu- because it entailed higher costs. We are convinced of our way of working: other companies do not pay the rider if he is stationary, while we paid him anyway for the entire time. This resulted in higher delivery costs. Same reasoning for restaurant commissions, the sustainability of the business for us provided a 25% but international platforms apply 15% because they have lower costs".

"There has been -adds the manager- an exchange of know-how between mymenu and Pellegrini that has led to the development of new alternative services to canteens, such as a more complete offer of cold and hot meals distributed via smartfridge in companies, but also the possibility to order within a certain time the lunch boxes in the company. We have provided for the 23 riders hired, another fifty are occasional workers, a facilitated process of voluntary applications at Just Eat to ensure the same safeguards. While the headquarters staff was in fact reabsorbed by Pellegrini: 90% of the employees were hired with harmonised contracts and similar functions. We have 2,500 employees working shifts with preset hourly breaks. These are mainly part-time contracts ranging from 10 to 30 hours per week". 

"Our delivery cost was 4 Euro -Tribuzio continues-, but then came the large groups who started making free deliveries or 1 Euro. Covid had an impact on restaurateurs because they started to reckon and many decided to make their own deliveries, paying a messenger -explains Tribuzio- but also on the customers who now connect the meals delivered at home to a period of restriction of freedom. Finally, inflation has caused a further contraction of orders".

"We will give riders the opportunity to apply -emphasizes Daniele Contini, country manager Italy of Just Eat-. We will make a selection process in continuity since mymenu also taught a model similar to our subordination. We have several positions open in different cities and if we find the right features we will proceed with hiring".