The owner of an Italian takeaway in Tooting says his business is being unfairly treated by Deliveroo and Just Eat.

Appetito, situated in Trident Business Centre, has been serving authentic Italian food to the community for the last four months.

Simone Stanziano, owner and lone chef of Appetito, has had an admittedly tough time getting his business known by residents.

Despite Appetito having its own website and delivery service, Simone understood that having a slot on the delivery sites would help him in getting his business seen by more people.

However, Simone says that working with Deliveroo and Just Eat has led to food waste due to constant driver cancellations.

He has also reportedly received complaints of food turning up cold.

"When people order through my website I know that I am going to be on time with top quality food," Simone told Nub News.

"I don't think it's fair or right that drivers are able to cancel orders when they say they're on route to collect it. It loses me money."

Appetito has always prided itself on cooking fresh authentic food which requires substantial prep time and can't be left for too long after cooking.

As well as cancellations, Simone says that Deliveroo actively pushes smaller businesses down the list and brings larger franchises like Mcdonald's to the top.

Simone continued: "I want people to know about me and Deliveroo can potentially help with that, but it feels like a losing battle."

Tooting Nub News contacted Deliveroo for a response to Appetitio's concerns.

A Deliveroo spokesperson told Nub News:

"Deliveroo takes any complaints or concerns we receive extremely seriously. If we fall short of the high standards we set ourselves we will take immediate action to rectify the situation, as we have done in this case.

"Our restaurant partners are at the heart of Deliveroo and we are committed to supporting them every step of the way and doing everything possible to help their success."

Deliveroo was founded by Will Shu in 2013. The company has seen a revenue growth of over 650% year on year.

The company operates in over 200 cities across 12 countries. There are currently over 30,000 riders working across the world.

Just Eat has been contacted by Tooting Nub News for comment.

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