Zomato launched a program called Infinity Dining a couple of days back. Essentially, the program is about getting Zomato Gold subscribers to enjoy unlimited food + (non-alcoholic?) drinks at a fixed cost.
This offering seems to be a useful way to engage existing Gold members + onboard new ones. However, I am not sure if it induces that same level of awe which Gold did when it was launched.
Unlimited food + drinks at select restaurants has been played out by multiple companies over the last few years. Barbeque Nation runs on this business model. Platforms like Dineout, Eazydiner, and even BookMyShow have been doing this for a few years now.
Zomato’s latest offering Infinity Dining is leaving a bad taste in restaurateurs’ mouths, Economic Times reports. Restaurants are complaining that the loyalty programme – which allows Zomato Gold subscribers to order unlimited meals at partner restaurants for a fixed price – is leading to food wastage and not shoring up earnings. Zomato COO Gaurav Gupta said these were “teething issues” for the new product. At the heart of the issue is Zomato Gold: eateries say the service was supposed to boost footfall but has instead created bargain-hunters (paywall). Even so, restaurants stay put for fear of missing out.
Will Infinity Dining be able to replicate Gold’s success?
Zomato wants to add more muscle to Gold with its new offering Infinity Dining, an all-you-can-eat (and drink) meal at partner outlets. While subscribers are pleased as Punch, restaurants have a furrowed brow, worried about soaring costs, execution nightmares, and a dilution of brand equity.
What the program does for Zomato though is to drive offline sales for the partner restaurants. In the online food ordering space, Zomato competes with two big players (Swiggy + Uber Eats) among other smaller ones. In offline however, where people are eating out, there is the whitespace for a platform to drive the sales volume. Zomato can capitalize on this through Infinity Dining which sits at the intersection of Zomato Gold and the Table Reservations feature.
Zomato launched a program called Infinity Dining a couple of days back. Essentially, the program is about getting Zomato Gold subscribers to enjoy unlimited food + (non-alcoholic?) drinks at a fixed cost.
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This offering seems to be a useful way to engage existing Gold members + onboard new ones. However, I am not sure if it induces that same level of awe which Gold did when it was launched.
Unlimited food + drinks at select restaurants has been played out by multiple companies over the last few years. Barbeque Nation runs on this business model. Platforms like Dineout, Eazydiner, and even BookMyShow have been doing this for a few years now.
Zomato will keep on expanding the choices it used to do with the Gold(by integrating more food joints/bars) so BBQ nation is not sits at the same level.It would so damn early at this stage estimating any conclusion as If I remember correctly few experts predicted the same for Zomato when they came up with their Zomato Gold program.
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‘Unlimited’ in itself is a very big marketing tool and especially when it comes with a trust zomato enjoys that too with multiple options to choose from. Isn’t it a deadly combo? Instead of Dineout, Eazydiner, nearbuy App is a very good choice for comparison as Zomato and Nearbuy both are at the same level playing field with similar offerings (minus food delivery).
Combine these with Hyperpure and Online food delivery, Zomato can then position itself as the end-to-end inventory + sales management platform for the restaurants.