An Ayrshire lad is gearing up to launch a new food app which he hopes can challenge the takeaway big guns Just Eat.
Levi Anderson, 20, from Mossblown will push the button on Ayr Eats next week.
The former Ayr Academy pupil has crunched the numbers and undertaken months of research ahead of the grand virtual opening.
And he has promised the new app will slash costs for businesses and create new jobs, with the delivery and takeaway software set to take South Ayrshire by storm.
Levi told Ayrshire Live: “We’re really excited for it and we’re looking forward to it. We think it will go down well.
“Everywhere you go – people are mentioning it and talking about it.
“It is surreal, it’s funny to see something you have built and set up, and to be talked about. It’s my first business and I really can’t wait to see it take off."
Ayr Eats will be the second of its kind in the region with Kilmarnock Eats launching in 2021.
The South Ayrshire edition of the Local Eats empire, which started in England, will cover Ayr, Prestwick and Troon with chains in Maybole and Girvan also signed up.
Restaurants already signed up include top Indians, Chinese, kebab shops and chippies.
But the app also springs a few surprises with convenience stores and a vape shop coming on board offering an e-cig liquid delivery service.
Taking down a giant like Just Eat will have its challenges, but Levi is confident that better rates and a hyper-local approach can give Ayr Eats a competitive edge.
He said: “It’s an app which people can get behind, it’s all about supporting local businesses.
“Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats all charge between 14-30 per cent commission rates, we will only charge 7.5 per cent.
“When we were looking at doing this we spoke to different businesses who were unhappy with the rates.
“We had seen Kilmarnock Eats and Paisley Eats, with both doing really well, we thought it was time to bring it Ayr.”
As well as helping out businesses struggling through a cost of living crisis, Levi believes Ayr Eats can be a force for good, with up to 50 per cent of profits going towards local advertising and boosting local foodbanks.
Levi added: “Our goal is to become an integral part of the local community for many years. We’re passionate about making a positive difference wherever we can.”
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