The original dishdash: Online restaurant access comes to Gaza
A Palestinian professor's new online business allows residents of Gaza City to browse menus and order meals for delivery from various restaurants, the first service of its kind in the Gaza Strip.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — University lecturer Sami Abu Shammala, from Gaza City, has launched Gaza's first website where customers can purchase meals online from restaurants. The website, No Call Food, the first of its kind in the Gaza Strip, began operation in mid-July, connecting customers to various restaurants from the comfort of their homes.
Abu Shammala, who holds a doctorate in financial management from Malaysia's University of Science and works for the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza, told Al-Monitor that he encountered the concept in the various countries he visited throughout his academic life like Malaysia, Turkey and Egypt.
He added, “Before the website was created, customers would call restaurants directly and order the meals they want. Then, they would call a delivery service company to bring the meal from the restaurant to their houses. But this process does not allow the client the opportunity to explore what he wants to buy before paying. It also forces him to make several calls to have the meal delivered to his house. The website gives the customer the opportunity to explore ingredients, prices, different foods, duration of preparation … to have the meal delivered quickly.”
When a customer signs into the website for the first time, he creates an account to identify him and his address, free of charge. Then, he can access different options and choose the restaurant and meal he wants from several food and dessert menus.
