At certain times, restaurants are deserted, around 11 am or 5 pm, for example. In order to lure a few guests into the restaurants, the Viennese startup Delinski has come up with some ideas: At times when hardly any tables are occupied, restaurants can offer a discount of up to 30 percent via the portal. Users reserve their table via Delinski, the partners then reduce the bill themselves.
Holding to an opportunity
Delinski was founded in 2012 by Lukas Zielinski, Moritz Fiebinger, Paco Matzinger and Arno Nöbl. One year ago, the Austrian founding team sold its startup for an unknown amount to a number of family offices and business angels, including David Savasci. He had previously pulled up the caterer Zuper, but had to stop the service due to low demand but again. According to Savasci, a planned franchise concept did not materialize and the founders were no longer motivated enough to scale the business differently. Now the Zuper-maker leads the startup Delinski.
Since the exit, the team has grown from four to 15 people, according to the new CEO. In January, the Viennese company expanded to Munich. Until then Delinski was only available in Vienna, Graz and Linz. In April, the startup wants to open a new location in Berlin or Hamburg. The platform currently works with more than 500 restaurants, 400 of them in Vienna alone.
How does the discount work?
Partners pay a fee to each brokered customer. Depending on the price range of their restaurant are 1.50 euros to 4 euros. Last year, Delinski generated such a high six-figure turnover, reports the managing director. In 2019 he wants to reach the million mark. In Vienna, the service is already profitable, says Savasci. More than 70,000 users have already booked a table through Delinski. Around half are therefore returning customers.
Not the first one
A similar service is offered by the Berlin startup Discoeat, which started in November in Berlin. Shortly before the launch, the Samwer brothers took part in the platform via their investment vehicles Global Founders Capital and Rocket Internet. Unlike Delinski offers the Berlin competition up to 50 percent discount on the courts and provides its partners additionally charged a monthly fee.