Edinburgh cost of living: Popular takeaway issues ‘order direct or lose us’ plea to customers

A popular Edinburgh eaterie has pleaded with customers to order direct – or they face closure

City centre restaurant Burger Mama say they ‘may be forced to close’ if customers continue to order via the likes of Deliveroo and Just Eat – rather than using their own app or website.

In 2018, Ben Abbot and his business partner Danny Zyw launched Lioness Burgers in their Duke Street pub, which opened back in 2013.

During lockdown, they decided to rebrand this popular “gourmet burger” offering to Burger Mama, offering delivery and takeaway from this venue, and earlier this year opened their first restaurant on Haymarket Terrace.

Burger Mama say they ‘may be forced to close’ if customers continue to order via the likes of Deliveroo and Just Eat – rather than using their own app or website.

But the owners have now said that while business is good, they are forking out a huge amount of money to pay delivery companies.

Posting on Instagram, the restaurant said: “Dear loyal customers and locals of Haymarket, this is a sincere and frank plea to order DIRECT or LOSE us.

“Sounds a bit melodramatic doesn’t it..!? Unfortunately it’s the stark reality facing us in the present climate. The hike in our energy costs has squeezed our already tight margins to mean we can no longer factor in the commission of the big food delivery platforms.

“We’re plenty busy enough – but we’re giving 30% to the delivery platform before we even start. We have an app and our growth plan has always been to SOLELY deliver direct through that by the end of year one... maybe March next year.

“You can download the app from the link in our Bio. There’s even a massive discount when you make your first order.”