If you’re among the many Filipinos who research online to look for new food finds and recommendations to try out, then there’s a good chance you’ve already stumbled upon Zomato, the world’s largest online restaurant aggregator and food guide.
Zomato has done wonders for Filipino foodies as it has become their go-to website when they need a new restaurant suggestion, or if they just need to look at the menu of any cafe or restaurant to check out their staples. But sadly, Zomato has officially closed its operations in the Philippines.
On February 2, visitors of the Zomato website and its app were greeted with a farewell message from the company itself. The company stated: “Goodbye, Metro Manila! It has been a great run but we have, sadly, stopped our operations here.”
The India-based restaurant aggregator added that they will still continue their services in India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The company’s patrons were expectedly surprised by the quiet and sudden ceasing of its operations in the country, and expressed their sadness as they received the shocking news.
This news comes about two years after Zomato announced that it has halted its ‘Pro Membership.’ This was a loyalty program that assured Zomato Pro members “faster food delivery on priority” and exclusive discounts.
Founded by Deepinder Goyal in 2008 and formally launched in 2010, Zomato is a restaurant guide-slash-directory platform that “connects customers, restaurant partners, and delivery partners” to serve their needs. The website has been used by its patrons to discover new restaurants, write food reviews, upload food photos and restaurant menus, order food delivery, and book reservations. It first set foot in the Philippines in 2013, becoming the first Southeast Asian country to start its operation.
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