Midnight's new children fuel booming late-night delivery economy
NEW DELHI
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In recent months, 37-year-old Sahiba Singh has been ordering either desserts or snacks such as momos and burgers after 10 pm. The New Delhi resident attributed this to both availability of more brands on quick commerce and food delivery apps, as well as for satiating her own late-night cravings.
Singh's example is emblematic of a new trend emerging among consumers across India. Driven by hectic work schedules and a growing desire for convenience, late-night food and essential deliveries are effectively creating a new 'prime time' for restaurants and quick commerce platforms.
For instance, food delivery major Swiggy Ltd.'s quick commerce service Instamart is witnessing a surge in late-night orders. 'Whether it's satisfying late-night cravings, grabbing last-minute essentials, or preparing for the next day, customers are increasingly turning to quick commerce for convenience," a company spokesperson said. 'While metropolitan areas have traditionally led this trend, Instamart is seeing strong adoption spreading across smaller cities, too."
The company operates dark stores throughout the day or for 24 hours in more than 25 cities. Snacks, beverages, ice creams, sexual wellness and feminine hygiene products, among others consistently drive its late-night demand, with spikes during festive seasons.
Also read | India's next 10-minute delivery? Domestic workers on demand
The company did not share data specific to its food ordering app Swiggy. However, in its 2024 food trends report, the food delivery app reported 215 million dinner-time orders–nearly 29% higher than lunch orders. Additionally, chicken burgers proved to be the ultimate midnight indulgence on the food ordering platform with 84 million orders between 12 midnight and 2 am. In its previous two editions, Swiggy did not disclose data for late night or dinner orders.
Queries sent to Eternal Ltd, parent of Swiggy's rival Zomato and its quick commerce platform BlinkIt remained unanswered. However, in its FY24 annual report, the company said most late-night orders came from Delhi NCR, while most breakfast orders came from Bengaluru.
Restaurants seeing surge, too
Meanwhile, restaurants are also seeing late-night orders, although some companies say the trend is relatively muted outside the large metros. Plus, administrative and regulatory restrictions abound.
Fast food chain Wow! Momo is extending its store opening hours at several locations to later than midnight, up from 11 pm previously, to cater to rising demand. 'In many places, we are trying to stay open till late," said Sagar Daryani, the company's chief executive and co-founder.
'Late-night orders have become bigger for us than even lunch," Daryani said. 'This was especially seen during the Indian Premier League (IPL). This is on account of changes in consumer habits, late-night socializing and a propensity to eat out more." The shift has been more pronounced in the past 12-18 months, Daryani added.
Read this | IPL 2025: Restaurants see strong delivery growth driven by cricket fever
Nishant Kedia, chief marketing officer-India at Rebel Foods, said while Hyderabad and Bengaluru show strong demand after 11 pm, the trend is not consistent across cities. Rebel Foods operates cloud kitchen brands such as Faasos, Behrouz Biryani, Oven Story Pizza, Mandarin Oak, and The Good Bowl, in addition to offline stores in India.
'These are typically driven by local consumption habits and the presence of BPO companies and offices that operate late into the night," Kedia said, adding that 'single-serve comfort items" such as burgers and desserts perform particularly well during late-night hours. In Hyderabad, biryani remains a popular choice even at night.
'We've selectively extended operating hours in high-demand markets where it makes business sense," he said.
Westlife Foodworld and Connaught Plaza Restaurants, operators of McDonald's restaurants in India, declined to respond to the queries around late-night operations.
Also read | Is quick commerce eating into the food delivery market?
Not all glory
Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal, founder and director of Lenexis Foodworks, which operates Chinese Wok, Big Bowl, and The Momo Co., said night ordering tends to be catchment-specific. 'While a base level of demand always exists, the operational overheads—from staffing to logistics—have to make sense to service those orders sustainably," he said, adding that late-night order volumes remain flat across its own ordering channels as well as aggregator platforms.
'While some local brands and cloud kitchens in metros do attempt to cater to late-night demand, it remains a niche opportunity with viability challenges," Agrawal said.
Kedia said that outside of large cities, demand for late-night deliveries remains relatively muted due to fewer late-night workplaces and earlier sleeping habits. 'Additionally, administrative restrictions—like local authorities not permitting operations past midnight or housing societies limiting entry—pose logistical challenges for consistent late-night delivery," he added.
And read | Wow! Momo appoints Avendus for fresh round; Lighthouse Funds to exit completely
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