Zepto Cafe Surges 50% MoM, Reaching 75,000 Daily Orders

Zepto Café, a 10-minute food delivery service under Zepto’s quick commerce segment, has recorded a significant milestone by surpassing 75,000 daily orders. This achievement was announced by Zepto’s co-founder and CEO, Aadit Palicha. The app was officially launched in December 2024 and has seen impressive growth in a short span.

Steady Month-on-Month Growth

Aadit Palicha took to social media to share the company’s progress, stating, “Four weeks ago, I shared my second Zepto Café update when we hit 50,000 orders per day. Today, we’ve reached 75,000 orders per day—recording 50 per cent month-on-month growth.”

He further emphasized the company’s promising trajectory by adding, “Customer love is strong, the economics are working, and the team is fired up.”

Zepto Café’s Growth Journey

At its inception in December 2024, Zepto Café recorded 30,000 daily orders. By January 2025, this number had crossed the 50,000 mark, reflecting a remarkable 60 per cent month-on-month growth.

Palicha remains optimistic about the future of Zepto Café, saying, “I believe this is the next big innovation in Indian Q-commerce and consumer internet, and Zepto is just getting started.”

The Competitive Landscape in Quick Food Delivery

Zepto Café is not the only player in the rapidly expanding quick food delivery segment. Established competitors like Zomato-backed Blinkit’s Bistro and Swiggy’s Bolt have also been scaling their operations and witnessing robust growth.

Swiggy’s Bolt Expansion

Swiggy’s management revealed in its Q3 FY25 shareholder letter that its Bolt service contributes 9 per cent to the company’s total food delivery volumes, an increase from 5 per cent in November 2024.

The company further stated, “This service has scaled meaningfully to 425 cities, contributing 9 per cent of our food delivery volumes today (up from 5 per cent in November 2024). We are the first player to create this proposition at scale for our 15 million users, offering a platform for our restaurant partners to meaningfully participate in this market segment.”

Launched in October 2024, Bolt has quickly expanded, solidifying its presence in the quick food delivery industry.

Zomato’s Bistro Initiative

Zomato’s quick commerce arm, Blinkit, introduced the Bistro app in December 2024 to cater to the growing demand for rapid food deliveries. The app focuses on delivering snacks, meals, and beverages within 10 minutes, primarily targeting the in-office market.

Zomato’s founder and CEO, Deepinder Goyal, highlighted the strategic approach behind Bistro’s launch: “We launched Bistro targeting the large in-office market, aiming to provide quick access to snacks, meals, and beverages within 10–15 minutes. This market is currently addressed by on-site vendors and vending machines and is not evenly served across geographies by existing food delivery options. Bistro aims to address this gap by creating infrastructure and collaborating with food researchers, producers, chefs, and restaurants to provide a proof of concept.”

Challenges and Industry Backlash

Despite the remarkable growth in the quick food delivery sector, companies like Zepto, Swiggy, and Zomato face regulatory and industry challenges. The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) have raised concerns about food aggregators' practices.

The allegations include:

• Concealing consumer data

• Engaging in private labelling

• Betraying the trust of restaurant partners

• Misusing their dominant market position

These claims highlight the ongoing friction between traditional restaurant operators and food delivery platforms, as they compete for market dominance in India’s evolving food commerce ecosystem.

Conclusion

Zepto Café’s rapid rise to 75,000 daily orders within just a few months demonstrates the strong consumer demand for ultra-fast food delivery services. With competitors like Swiggy’s Bolt and Zomato’s Bistro also gaining traction, the quick commerce industry is poised for further expansion. However, regulatory challenges and industry pushback remain key factors that could shape the sector’s future.