Ritual is a takeout food ordering app in Toronto that lets customers skip the line at their favourite restaurants. Over the past few years, the platform has become one of the most successful of its kind. Back in 2015, Ritual operated in just a few local establishments, but as of 2024, the app is now used for ordering food in dozens of Toronto neighbourhoods, not to mention New York, Chicago, Boston, and Washington. Read more on toronto-future.com.
The Uniqueness of the App
In 2018, the company took part in Food Is King, a promotion created to encourage more people to try new establishments on King West. Ritual also collaborated with Apple to promote the Apple Pay option during the “digital food festival” Eats Week on March 9, 2018. Naturally, these partnerships helped set the platform on a path to success. But how does the company operate amidst the fierce competition among food ordering apps? Why do some restaurants leave the platform, while Ritual has remained popular for so many years?
In today’s fast-paced world, convenience is a key aspect of everyone’s life, especially when it comes to food. Mobile ordering apps have become an integral part of our daily routine, allowing people to quickly refuel and get on with their day. The development of Ritual took this concept to a new level by combining mobile food ordering with social networking. The platform itself was created by Ray Reddy. He placed a major emphasis on making ordering possible for both individuals and large teams.
The Founding of Ritual
Ray Reddy, a tech enthusiast and entrepreneur, co-founded Ritual with a vision to improve the local dining experience. His journey began with the creation of PushLife, a mobile commerce company that was acquired by Google in 2011. While at Google, Ray led the development of mobile products for shopping and commerce, where he saw the potential for social applications to revolutionize mobile commerce. This realization inspired him to create Ritual.
The app was launched to make mealtime fast, convenient, and social. With Ritual, users can order food from their favourite local restaurants and cafes, and also use a unique feature that allows friends and colleagues to add their items to an existing order. This concept of “social ordering” not only saves customers time but also generates additional revenue for local businesses. Ritual quickly gained popularity in major North American cities, helping restaurants gain a technological edge and build deeper connections with their customers.
Evolving the Platform to Ritual ONE: The Advantages
Previously, Ritual’s pre-order app was primarily aimed at office workers, allowing employees from the same office or location to join each other’s orders. Ritual ONE essentially integrated directly into a restaurant’s internal system, becoming part of its tech infrastructure rather than an additional module to be configured and managed separately. For establishments not yet online, Ritual could create a custom-configured menu. The Ritual ONE service was created in response to the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry. The tool is a joint project between Ritual and the City of Toronto. It enables restaurants to accept digital orders through their own digital platforms, rather than relying on third-party delivery services like DoorDash or Uber Eats to process takeout orders (though in most cases, these services would still be used for the actual delivery).
The main advantage is lower commission fees. Typically, Ritual charges restaurants a monthly fee of $49 per location to use Ritual ONE. However, given the difficult situation in the restaurant industry, in 2018 the company decided that all current or new Ritual clients in Chicago would get free access to the service for life if they signed up by July 10. This also became a significant advantage of using the app. One of the main problems with using third-party delivery services is the high commissions they charge restaurants, in some cases as much as 30% per transaction. This hits small and independent restaurants particularly hard, as these fees can significantly reduce their profits. The shift to off-premise ordering only exacerbated this problem, as establishments that previously earned from dine-in service were later forced to offer delivery and takeout. This usually requires partnering with third-party services and paying them substantial commissions.
Helping restaurants partially avoid such fees is a promise now made by many companies in the restaurant technology space. Toast, ChowNow, and others have also announced tech solutions aimed at avoiding the high commissions of third-party delivery services. However, no one else had offered free software for life, as Ritual’s developers did. This move was a sufficient incentive for restaurant owners to use the sercive, as they are constantly looking for ways to meet customer expectations for quality off-premise service.
More on the Platform’s Operations During COVID-19
When the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, the restaurant industry faced unprecedented challenges. Ritual remained true to its mission of supporting local eateries. The company introduced several commission-free solutions, such as online ordering and digital menu creation, to help restaurants expand their audience. Additionally, Ritual provided access to contact tracing QR codes, contactless payment systems, and turnkey marketing solutions. All of this helped restaurants adapt to the new reality. Ritual’s dedication to the restaurant community during the pandemic solidified its position as a reliable partner for local businesses. By constantly improving its platform to meet the changing needs of the industry, Ritual proved it was more than just an app on a phone. The platform became a true lifeline for restaurants in difficult times.
The Future of Ritual
Looking ahead, Ritual aims to further enhance the dining experience by expanding its offerings and entering new markets. Ray Reddy’s vision for the future of local commerce is clear: to create an even stronger connection between a city’s establishments and their customers. Ritual continues to innovate, exploring new ways to help restaurants thrive—whether through modern technology, an improved user experience, or new partnerships.
Under Ray Reddy’s leadership, Ritual is well-positioned for growth and to strengthen its standing as a key player in the local commerce industry. As the world has recovered from the pandemic, Ritual has remained a devoted friend to restaurants for a long time. Thanks to Ray’s passion for technology and his dedication to the restaurant industry, the platform continues to have a significant impact on how people order and enjoy their food.