It looks like there's nearly no one home on DoorDash Yellowknife.

The app-based delivery service has been making headlines in recent weeks as a number of restaurants appeared on the app without owners鈥� consent. 

Bullocks Bistro, Taste of Saigon, Main Street Pizza and Deli, The Monkey Tree Pub, and McDonald鈥檚 all appeared as options for Yellowknife delivery last week.

Now, only McDonald鈥檚 remains listed.

The owners said last week they were surprised when their menus became associated with the app.

Jo-Ann Martin, Bullocks Bistro co-owner, calls DoorDash鈥檚 way of doing business 鈥渦nusual鈥� and 鈥渄isrespectful.鈥�

She said she had repeatedly declined to take part in DoorDash鈥檚 Yellowknife operations after being called 鈥減ersistently鈥� by the California-based company. 

She explained to them that the bistro is not set up for takeout services and as they continued to press, she 鈥渆ventually said 'no we鈥檙e not interested.' That was the end of the conversation,鈥� Martin said. Or so she thought: one of her employees pointed out that Bullock鈥檚 was subsequently still listed on the app soon after.

Martin said she was in touch with the other local business owners who had similar concerns over DoorDash's expansion to Yellowknife. She suspects it was Monkey Tree owner Jenn Vornbrock鈥檚 actions that got them off the app.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very unusual way of doing business. I don鈥檛 know if they realize we鈥檙e a small town and everyone knows everyone to a certain extent.鈥�

Vornbrock told 黑料吃瓜网 last week that DoorDash had even showed up to her pub for an order, despite 鈥� like Martin 鈥� repeatedly declining to take part in the service. She wasn't immediately available for comment Friday afternoon.

DoorDash told her they take about 30 per cent of the restaurant鈥檚 sales, which Vornbrock said would 鈥渒ill鈥� her operation. 

Reliable, systematic, simple

The Monkey Tree is instead working with (reliable, systematic, simple). 

RSS founder Shivam Dhamija has been working on the new app for months and said it will be ready to launch in the coming weeks. 

鈥淚 want restaurant owners to earn a significant amount of money from my delivery business,鈥� Dhamija said, unlike big box companies that 鈥渢ake all the profit margins."

He said DoorDash鈥檚 handlings have given locals a 鈥渂ad image of delivery businesses,鈥� but wants restaurant owners to know 鈥渢his is something that can expand their business and double their revenue.鈥� 

鈥淒oorDash is trying to enter the market but they don鈥檛 know anything about this town,鈥� he said.

Copperhouse is among the businesses working with RSS ahead of their launch. 

Co-owner Mark Henry said RSS鈥檚 fees are no where near DoorDash鈥檚, which he called 鈥渆xcessive.鈥� 

鈥淚t鈥檚 a local guy trying to make a go of it. That鈥檚 what we need,鈥� he said. 

Copperhouse was not listed on the DoorDash app, but as a local restaurant owner, Henry still said their actions aren鈥檛 鈥渇air to local retailers who invest in the community.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 another example of a big box store coming in and taking money from locals,鈥� he said. 

As a small kitchen with just one cook, Martin said Bullock's is not currently in a position to offer takeout services. 

Though, 鈥渋f we were contemplating something like that, we would prefer to support someone local,鈥� she said, explaining that she declined Dhamija's offer but respects his operation.   

"New ideas are a great thing," she said. "However I think we have to respect each other, too."

DoorDash still has several part-time and full-time job openings and online job boards.