Tired of what they describe as the predatory business practices of Silicon Valley tech giants, a group of local restaurants have banded together to launch their own co-op food delivery service.
It’s called LoCo Las Vegas.
“This is a local solution to a local problem,” says Kristen Corral, owner of Tacotarian, who helped found the locally owned food delivery cooperative. “Do we really need billion-dollar tech companies delivering our food? It doesn’t make sense. This should be a public utility for restaurant owners.”
Companies like GrubHub, DoorDash, Postmates and UberEats have raked in profits during the pandemic, capitalizing on shutdowns that forced people to stay home and away from dine-in restaurants. But local restaurant owners say these third-party delivery companies charge them exorbitant fees — upwards of a 30% commission — that cut deep into their already thin profit margins and, partake in other shady business practices.