Under the Western European pandemic, restaurants that can only do takeout and the booming delivery freelance industry

Since November 2020, all restaurants, cafes and catering banquets in Belgium can only do takeout before 10 p.m. or sadly close! The strict anti-pandemic measures in place for more than two months have indeed allowed Belgium to effectively control the spread of the virus and ease pressure on medical staff during the health crisis caused by the rise of the second, and even third, wave of the novel virus in Europe. However, closing restaurants and relying on relief benefits is not a long-term solution, and many operators choose to cooperate with delivery platforms such as Uber eat, Deliveroo and Take away. However, delivery platform service areas are limited to densely populated urban areas with a high concentration of restaurants. Living in the countryside, I can only dream of kicking back and waiting for delivery. Having finally seized an opportunity, I recorded my observation of the "last mile to a delicious meal," comparing the delivery platform industry and labor methods in Taiwan and Western European cities.

As a "countryside person," the first time I ordered food through a delivery APP, I dedicated it to the Taiwanese restaurant "Da Fang" in Brussels. When I pressed the confirm button, I was surprised that the delivery fee (4.95 euros, about 171 Taiwan dollars) actually accounted for 30% of the meal cost! A week later, on my second order from "Da Fang," I received a full refund from Uber