I think it's a spectrum: some foods deliver better than others. Not all cuisines are equal, so there's no one-size-fits-all business model. Here's a rough list of foods that travel well.
Pizza travels exceedingly well over larger distances. Most types of non-soupy Chinese dishes also deliver well. There are proven delivery business models for pizza and Chinese food, even pre-covid, and they've mostly been successful.
Other foods, not so much. Good soup ramens don't travel so well (in fact, ramen is so time-sensitive that you're supposed to eat it within the first 10 minutes of it being served). Similarly, good pasta is time-sensitive. (I'm sure you've had gloopy pasta at potlucks where it's been left out on a chafer for a while)
I believe there is potential for innovation around packaging (for preserving food quality) and maximizing efficiencies, but the economic window is very small in high labor cost jurisdictions. There are lots of people working on this problem though. Solutions will likely end up being bespoke, and likely involve complementary sources of income. (for instance, tipping in America is a lever in the economics of a sit-down restaurant; delivery-only businesses need similar levers)
https://www.7shifts.com/blog/food-that-travels-well-for-deli...
Pizza travels exceedingly well over larger distances. Most types of non-soupy Chinese dishes also deliver well. There are proven delivery business models for pizza and Chinese food, even pre-covid, and they've mostly been successful.
Other foods, not so much. Good soup ramens don't travel so well (in fact, ramen is so time-sensitive that you're supposed to eat it within the first 10 minutes of it being served). Similarly, good pasta is time-sensitive. (I'm sure you've had gloopy pasta at potlucks where it's been left out on a chafer for a while)
I believe there is potential for innovation around packaging (for preserving food quality) and maximizing efficiencies, but the economic window is very small in high labor cost jurisdictions. There are lots of people working on this problem though. Solutions will likely end up being bespoke, and likely involve complementary sources of income. (for instance, tipping in America is a lever in the economics of a sit-down restaurant; delivery-only businesses need similar levers)