e-food.gr

e-food.gr operates as a prominent online food and grocery delivery platform in Greece, functioning as a marketplace that connects consumers with restaurants and retail stores. The company was founded in 2011 by Apostolos Apostolakis and the brothers Paminos and Constantinos Kyrkinis. The founders identified a gap in the Greek market for a comprehensive online delivery service, particularly noting that existing competitors lacked an exhaustive supply of restaurants and a strong mobile presence. Paminos Kyrkinis, who serves as the CEO, had been living in London during the Greek financial crisis but returned to Athens to launch the venture with his brother and co-founders. They started the business from their parents' living room in 2012. Apostolos Apostolakis, a serial entrepreneur and civil engineer with an MBA from Columbia Business School, had a background in e-commerce, having co-founded e-shop.gr, and experience from his time at Boston Consulting Group.

The platform's business model is based on facilitating transactions between customers and a wide network of partners, earning revenue through commissions on orders. This marketplace model benefits both consumers, by providing a wide selection and convenience, and business partners, by expanding their customer reach. The service allows users to order from over 20,000 establishments across more than 100 cities in Greece via its website and mobile applications for Android and iOS. Users can enter their address, browse menus from local restaurants and stores, place an order, and choose from various payment methods, including credit/debit cards, PayPal, and cash on delivery.

Initially focused on restaurant food and coffee, e-food.gr has significantly expanded its offerings. In 2020, the company began a partnership with the Sklavenitis supermarket chain, marking its entry into grocery delivery. This was followed by the launch of its own quick commerce service, "efood market," in 2021, which operates its own dark stores to ensure rapid delivery of groceries and everyday essentials. The platform now includes a diverse range of products from supermarkets, liquor stores, pharmacies, butchers, bookstores, and electronics shops. A major milestone in the company's history was its acquisition by the German multinational Delivery Hero in May 2015, which provided substantial capital and resources for further growth. Following the acquisition, e-food.gr continued to expand, acquiring several companies from the Mouchalis Group in 2022, including ALPHA DISTRIBUTIONS, INKAT, delivery.gr, and e-table, to bolster its retail and wholesale operations.

Keywords: online food delivery, grocery delivery, Greek market, e-commerce platform, restaurant marketplace, quick commerce, mobile ordering, food delivery app, convenience stores, last-mile delivery, Delivery Hero, efood market, Paminos Kyrkinis, Apostolos Apostolakis, online ordering, takeout services, supermarket delivery, delivery logistics, Greek startups, food tech, digital marketplace