Diversification, quality key to success for food ordering and delivery business

When Beijing was blanketed by heavy smog, three motorcycles passed by a crossroads within 30 seconds. All of them were carrying a big box, stuffed with food and bearing the name of one of China's three largest food-ordering platforms.

The motorcyclists were couriers from Ele.me, a six-year-old startup, Groupon-like Meituan.com and Baidu Waimai, a food-ordering service launched by search engine giant Baidu Inc.

They were winding through busy traffic to deliver dinners that consumers had ordered online.