Hanoi restaurants see a complete drop in lunch orders due to the scorching heat.

On days when temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius, Hoang Lam's eatery experiences almost no orders during lunchtime. Finding drivers is difficult, and delivery fees are high, so the owner personally delivers the food to customers.

The expression on the man's face as he walks under the scorching sun in Hanoi on May 24th. Photo: Dinh Ha .

In the scorching midday sun of May 25th, Nguyen Duc Hoang Lam, the owner of a restaurant in Thanh Xuan ward, Hanoi, donned two layers of sun-protective clothing, a face mask, and sunglasses before delivering food to customers.

Normally, lunchtime is the busiest time of day for the shop. Besides customers buying directly, Lam's shop receives about 20-25 orders daily through food delivery apps. However, during the recent prolonged heatwave, the number of orders dropped sharply, with some days seeing almost no orders at all during lunchtime.

"I have to do the deliveries myself to keep the shop running," Hoang Lam told Tri Thuc - Znews.

Hoang Lam personally delivers food to customers during Hanoi's peak hot weather days. Photo: 1%Better .

The recent heatwave in Hanoi is putting significant pressure on delivery costs for many eateries and restaurants, while also causing noticeable fluctuations in the supply of delivery drivers.

On apps like GrabFood, ShopeeFood, and BeFood, users are constantly experiencing difficulties finding drivers or having to wait significantly longer than usual for someone to accept their order.

In 2022, Grab applied a "hot weather surcharge" of 3,000-5,000 VND to GrabFood, GrabBike, and GrabExpress services when the outdoor temperature exceeded a high threshold, according to SGGP .

This trend is also occurring in many Asian and European countries. Reuters reported that the Italian food delivery platform Glovo once implemented a "heat-relief bonus" for delivery drivers during heatwaves, but it sparked controversy as it was seen as inadvertently encouraging shippers to work in dangerous weather conditions.

Meanwhile, the Thomson Reuters Foundation notes that delivery companies are increasingly having to apply surcharges for hot or heavy rain due to the more frequent occurrence of extreme weather. A study in China also showed that the number of food deliveries could increase by more than 10% when temperatures rise from 20 to 35 degrees Celsius, as people limit their time outdoors and rely more on delivery services.

Sharing more about his business, Hoang Lam said that most of his customers order through social media and food delivery apps. However, on hot days, the number of lunchtime orders decreases significantly due to the difficulty in finding delivery drivers. For regular customers, he proactively delivers the orders himself to retain them. Despite the increased effort, the restaurant still maintains the delivery fee at 5,000-10,000 VND, and offers free delivery for orders under 2 km.

"With this scorching heat, I don't dare raise prices for fear of losing customers," he said.

Phuong Anh delivering drinks to customers herself. Photo: Provided by the interviewee .

Similarly, Nguyen Phuong Anh (29 years old, Nghia Do ward, Hanoi), the owner of an online coffee and matcha shop, said that the hot weather is directly affecting her business. Shipping costs have increased significantly, while finding delivery drivers is also more difficult than before.

"Some days, around 6-7 PM, an order is only 3 km away, but the delivery fee has already reached 40,000 VND. Many customers are hesitant to order because the delivery fee is higher than the price of the drink," she said.

According to Phuong Anh, many customers still want completely free shipping despite the shop having implemented various discount programs. To maintain operations, the shop can only partially subsidize shipping costs or encourage customers to order three or more drinks to qualify for free delivery within a short distance.

"If I can't get a delivery driver, I'll deliver it myself. And if a driver accepts the order, I usually prepare extra water for them. Working outdoors these days is really tough," she shared.

The fact that many restaurants are reducing orders or having to handle deliveries themselves partly reflects the shortage of delivery drivers during peak hours of hot weather. As a result, many customers have to wait a long time to receive their food.

At noon on May 25th, Ha Quynh Anh (24 years old), an office worker in Hai Ba Trung ward, ordered food from a restaurant less than 3 km from her workplace. After her first order was canceled because there was no driver available, she had to reorder and wait nearly two hours to receive her food.

"I've ordered food from this restaurant many times. Usually, it only takes about 30-45 minutes to receive it," Quỳnh Anh said.

The scene at Hoan Kiem Lake was deserted at 1:30 PM on May 24th, when the outdoor temperature was nearly 40 degrees Celsius. Photo: Dinh Ha .

A similar situation occurred with Do My Anh (31 years old), who works in Cau Giay ward. That afternoon, she and her colleagues ordered food from a restaurant about 1 km from their office, but after more than 40 minutes, no delivery driver had accepted the order. Finally, she had to go to the restaurant herself to buy the food and bring it back.

In recent days, Hanoi, along with many provinces and cities in Northern and Central Vietnam, has entered the peak of a widespread heatwave with temperatures consistently remaining at very high levels. According to the National Center for Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting, on May 26th, many areas recorded temperatures ranging from 38-40 degrees Celsius, with some places exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

Hanoi, in particular, is forecast to reach temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius at times, while the actual perceived temperature outdoors, especially on concrete roads or in areas with few trees, is significantly higher.

Intense heatwaves are forecast to continue in Northern and Central Vietnam for the next 1-2 days before the possibility of widespread thunderstorms.

Source: https://znews.vn/quan-an-ha-noi-e-sach-don-trua-vi-nang-nong-post1654129.html