Independent delivery app expands reach
The world has become even more accustomed to delivery apps with the continued rise of JustEat and Deliveroo but now Yorkshire-based app is now looking to grow its presence following nearly two years of success.
Pronto a local takeaway delivery app based in Ilkley is expanding its reach and adding new independent restaurants in Leeds to its service from February 1.
The app, which launched in March 2020, is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team, Cat and Mark Barrett who wanted to create something to provide for local Ilkley residents with access to great food, at the same time as supporting the huge hospitality sector within the town with a better and fairer deal, when the first national lockdown swept the nation.
The company charges a low 10% commission – Uber Eats charges c.30%, Celiveroo c.25% and JustEat c.14% + a 50p admin charge per order – and has focused on helping restaurants as well as the end customers. The service allows restaurants to change their menu whenever they like through the backend system – putting them in control to change prices, add specials, and tweak lots of other settings too.
Pronto has also integrated with a full rider network including bikes, scooters and cars, which allow the restaurants to choose to use the rider network, or their own drivers instead.
Pronto husband-and-wife co-founders, Mark and Cat Barrett
The expansion of the app into Leeds Leeds will see customers accessing food from Doh’hut, Slap and Pickle, Manjits Kitchen, Humpit, and Crowd of Favours, as well as many other hugely popular indie staples.
Speaking about being part of Pronto, owner of Host & Joels Chicken Buns in Ilkley, Joel Monkman, said: “We jumped at the chance to get Host on the Pronto platform, which has very low commission rates. It’s effortless to make menu changes within the system and if you ever get stuck, the customer service provided by Pronto is personal, fast and highly effective. Our take-out has become so popular that we have now launched an additional take-out business, Joel’s Chicken Buns, which is also on the Pronto app.”
Barrett added: “For us, it’s not just about creating a business, it’s about bringing communities together. That was particularly important during the pandemic and various lockdowns, but it continues to be important now. The fact that we can bring great, independent businesses together with the people living in West Yorkshire is what gives us a spring in our step every day.”
