Online food delivery (OFD) services constitute a unique business model incorporating the foodservice, sharing economy, and technology industries. Despite these complex dynamics, existing literature predominantly concentrates on consumer perspectives during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this gap, this study explores how OFD drivers’ voices shape the new OFD work paradigm and its influence on the OFD ecosystem. Using the computational grounded theory approach, this research identified key challenges OFD drivers face and examined how those challenges evolved throughout the pandemic. Our findings highlight drivers’ crucial role in the OFD ecosystem and provide a comprehensive understanding of drivers’ challenges. The research offers a foundation for future studies on drivers’ perspectives and stakeholder inter-relationships within the OFD industry, particularly in the post-COVID period. From a practical standpoint, this study recognizes the need for involvement from other major OFD stakeholders and provides recommendations to each stakeholder group to create a sustainable sharing ecosystem.
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