New takeaway ordering site to support Weston businesses

Kuwaz Ali, who owns Jaan in Whitecross Road, says he was inundated with orders but was making hardly any money due to paying high rates to online ordering website Just Eat.

After meeting with fellow takeaway owners in Weston, he discovered Just Eat earns around £100,000 a month from takeaways in the town.

Kuwaz decided to set up his own online ordering platform, Love Your Locals, to help businesses struggling with the high rates and enable the hundreds of thousands of pounds previously given to Just Eat to go back into the local economy.

He said: "Just East is a superb site and fantastic for consumers but it's at the expense of independent business owners.

"It's turned the local businesses unprofitable, serving orders at a loss.

"Just Eat takes 80 per cent of our profit margin. Businesses can't afford it.

"I feel it's killing independent businesses.

"It has a knock-on effect with regards to jobs, stock, quality and health and hygiene because they have got no margins to play with."

Love Your Locals launched at the start of June with 13 takeaways signed up so far.

Businesses pay £1 per order, which covers administration costs.

A percentage is also donated to a local charity every three months - customers can choose from three good causes after placing an order.

Kuwaz said: "Businesses pay a fixed fee, regardless of order value so it's not a commission. The fee pays for maintenance of the site, rental and marketing costs.

"Local businesses have become reliant on Just Eat.

"With the volume of customers they provide, they think they can't afford to lose it.

"Since I've come off Just Eat, I'm in the same position as I was with them.

"With them I was doing a higher volume of orders but earning the same."

Kuwaz and fellow businesses on Love Your Locals are hoping customers will start using the platform to help independent traders and invest in the community.

To use the site, download the Love Your Locals app or visit www.loveyourlocals.co.uk