Dr. Michael von Massow, a food economist in U of G’s Department of Food, Agriculture and Resource, spoke to several media outlets about the future of food delivery apps and whether caps on their fees will help restaurants.

In an interview with Forbes, von Massow said capping the fees that food delivery services can charge restaurants will hurt the delivery companies, which could then force them out of markets or to drop certain restaurants.

“Regulation is complex, and the outcomes don’t always reflect what the objective was,” he said.

In an interview with CTVNews.ca, von Massow said the business model for delivery apps is currently not working and COVID may accelerate a shift to fixing it. That could mean focusing only on “ghost kitchen” restaurants that focus primarily on the takeout and delivery model.

Von Massow studies the structure and performance of food supply chains and writes about changes in the food system on his Food Focus blog.