Shunning Swiggy, Zomato, Namakkal restaurant owners move to Tamil Nadu-based online food delivery platform Zaaroz

The restaurant owners in Namakkal who stopped receiving food orders from online food delivery majors like Swiggy and Zomato, have now shifted to a new online food delivery aggregator, Zaaroz, which only receives subscriptions from the hotel on a monthly-basis. 

From July 1, the owners of eateries in Namakkal town and taluk stopped providing food to Swiggy and Zomato, claiming that they were demanding high commissions and earning through hidden charges, which caused the restaurant owners to increase the food price.

The eatery owners have not accepted the orders from Swiggy or Zomato for the past one week. Meanwhile, on Monday (July 7, 2025), the restaurant owners announced that they will deliver food through a new online food delivery aggregator, Zaaroz, which is run by an entrepreneur at Chidambaram in Cuddalore district. After performing pooja at Namakkal Anjaneyar temple, food delivery was started.

Subscription model of Zaaroz

N. Arul Murugan, secretary for the Namakkal Town and Taluk Hotel Owners Association, said that the new company only receives monthly subscriptions from messes, bakeries and restaurant in Namakkal town. The mess and bakery have to pay ₹1,500 and 18% GST every month and restaurants should pay ₹3,000 with 18% GST every month to the company.

At present, 50 hotels have joined this new online food delivery platform and began to deliver food through it. Earlier, the eateries paid ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 as commission to the other major online food delivery aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato every month. “Now, we are able to save 90% of the money. If a hotel pays ₹3,000 with GST to the new aggregator, it will deliver food without limits. As they also deliver groceries, meat and other items online, they are able to deliver food at this subscription cost,” Mr. Arul added. 

Enthusiastic response

Stating that there is a good response for the new aggregator among the public, Mr. Arul Murugan said that on the first day till Monday afternoon, 3,000 people downloaded the mobile application of Zaaroz and 100 deliveries were made till afternoon.

Food price slashed

“We have planned to extend this local app to other places in the district. Restaurant owners from Tiruchengode and Rasipuram also agreed to join in this app and talks are on with other restaurant owners in the district. Due to cost reduction for us, we have reduced the food price. Earlier, due to commission problem, two idlis were sold for ₹45 to ₹50. But from Monday, hotels in Namakkal town started to sell it for the actual rate of ₹30. Similarly, all food prices, which were earlier hiked, were also reduced,” Mr. Arul Murugan added.