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Stuck in a 9-5? A bit of a foodie?

A rapidly-growing food delivery platform is targeting further expansion across County Meath, with a focus on recruiting franchise partners in Navan, Ashbourne and surrounding villages.

Local Eats, who provide software to operate over 100 locally run delivery apps across the UK and Ireland, is inviting local people with an eye for entrepreneurship to setup and operate a food ordering marketplace in their own communities, building on a model that has already delivered strong results in a variety of local communities.

Ollie Jackson, chief operating officer, said the opportunity is aimed at individuals looking to build a business rooted in their local area while tapping into the continued growth of the food delivery market. “Local Eats provides a ‘business in a box’ for local people to set up, run and grow their own food delivery app in their hometown,” he explained.

The franchise model is built around local ownership, with each partner responsible for developing relationships with restaurants and customers in their town, while receiving centralised support across technology, marketing and strategy.

“We’re looking for franchisees to come and join us to continue our rapid takeover of the Irish food delivery market” said Ollie.

“It’s about having someone on the ground who understands the community, is likeable and can build something that grows quickly into a full-time role. A business that benefits the whole town. We provide the support, advice and marketing guidance to help them thrive.”

Founded in 2019, Local Eats emerged from a practical challenge faced by independent takeaways; how to compete in an increasingly digital marketplace without taking on unsustainable costs.

“One of our founders was working with restaurants in Barrow-in-Furness who couldn’t afford to join the bigger platforms but still needed to be online,” Ollie explained.

“At the time, customers often had to sign up to multiple apps for each takeaway depending on where they wanted to order from. The idea was to bring everything together into one local platform.”

That concept led to the launch of a single-town app, which quickly gained traction and demonstrated that a locally focused model could succeed alongside national operators.

"The business has since been scaled through franchising, with an emphasis on keeping decision-making and presence within each community. “The value of having a local person at the helm is huge,” Ollie said.

“We don’t want to operate remotely. We want our partners to be visible, to build relationships face-to-face and to become part of the local business landscape.” A key differentiator is cost. Local Eats positions itself as a more affordable alternative to major delivery apps, particularly for independent outlets operating on tight margins.

We’re much cheaper than the big platforms,” he said.

“Restaurants can save around five and a half per cent in commission – roughly €1.50 per order. Over the course of a week, that could be the difference between covering rent or paying a member of staff. It’s a significant saving and makes a real difference to local takeaways.”

The model also aims to widen access to delivery services for smaller or independent outlets that may have previously been priced out of the market, while giving customers more choice and value.

“You’ll often see more flexibility from local businesses, whether that’s slightly lower prices or flash offers that wouldn’t be possible on the larger platforms,” Ollie added. “That benefits customers, but it also helps keep money circulating within the local economy.”

Community engagement is another central part of the approach, with franchisees encouraged to actively support local initiatives.

“We want our partners to sponsor grassroots sports teams, promote food banks and really embed themselves in the area,” Ollie said.

“We don’t want to be a faceless brand extracting money, we want to do the opposite and contribute positively to the communities we serve.”

The investment required to launch a Local Eats franchise is positioned as relatively accessible compared to other business opportunities. An initial fee of around €7,000 covers the build of the platform, including the app, website and initial marketing, with total start-up costs typically ranging from €15,000 to €20,000.

“From there, the business is designed to pay for itself from day one.” Ollie said.

“We have marketplaces earning upwards of €200,000 in the first year with our more successful and longer established marketplaces earning five to seven times that amount”.

“Franchisees also have full control over their branding, from colour schemes to logos, so it reflects what works best for their local area.”

With established operations and hugely successful marketplaces already in places such as Bangor, Ayr, Fife and Ballymena, the company believes there is strong potential for further growth across Co Meath.

“This is a genuine opportunity for someone local, whether they’re between roles, looking for a change or ready to take on a new challenge, to create, run and grow their own business,” Ollie added.

“It benefits local takeaways, customers and the wider community, and we’ve already seen how successful that can be elsewhere. Often our biggest problem is that is sometimes looks too good to be true.”

Further information on franchise opportunities is available via www.local-eats.ie