In response to the pandemic crisis, many local restaurants have gone online to best accommodate the market demand. Covid-19 saw millions of people order food, which is unprecedented. And even when the country lifted restrictions and customers dined in again, food delivery service apps keep being a preferable choice to meet guests’ newly formed off-premise habits. Statistically, over 90% of restaurant customers intend on maintaining habits to find food online post-vaccine. The digital food delivery market is rapidly expanding and is projected to reach $63,551.77 million by 2025.
For many restaurants (be they large or small businesses), the question is not whether to enter the online food delivery market — but which are the best food delivery services for their company. Keep reading for the answer.
Why is a delivery service crucial to your restaurant?
Opening up a new customer base that previously had no idea of your restaurant or was restricted by location - all at low cost.
- Allowing you to stay busy during lower foot traffic.
- Encouraging customers to choose your restaurant over another with limited-time offers like special deals.
- Minimizing order errors. Letting guests order food through a food delivery app places the responsibility of getting the order details right in their hands.
- Being a guarantee of safety known as a top concern for lots of customers and business owners nowadays.
- Tempting customers with your best food will motivate them to order delivery from you again or dine in.
- Increasing loyalty, considering the convenience of delivery services to get their favorite meal, cuisines, and drinks from favorite restaurants delivered directly to their doorstep.
- Meeting the demand of Gen Z known as the digital food delivery market’s huge clientele.
- Make more money in your business by selling more of your meals and groceries.
How to start your best food delivery service: Tips for success
1. Create a delivery menu
Consider removing meals and cuisines that fail to travel well from your restaurant menu optimized for delivery services and replacing them with more appropriate cuisine types, say fast food. Likewise, having a simplified delivery menu minimizes the prep and packaging workload for employees. Make sure to account for your location’s best food as well.
For such optimization for pickup and delivery and order value increase, you may leverage an instant contactless menu from One2. One2 is a one-size-fits-all web-based platform for restaurant ordering, delivery, loyalty & rewards.
2. Decide how to have food delivery orders handled
You are recommended to dedicate a particular portion of your back kitchen employees to the meal kit delivery side while the other handles front house customers. This way helps streamline both services and allows orders to promptly get ready for pickup and delivery.
Furthermore, when choosing the best food delivery service for your local restaurants, consider the following main factors:
Firstly, does this service integrate with your POS?
Secondly, does your target audience use it already? (In case you are interested in: Second Measure data shows that the Uber Eats food delivery app is popular in Miami, Doordash reigns in Houston and San Francisco cities, and the Grubhub app boasts popularity in NYC.)
Thirdly, what does the service cost? (e.g., the delivery fees, extra fees, and packaging)
3. Introduce multiple payment options
Especially today, with the pandemic, customers expect a contact free delivery when shopping online. That is why you can deliver the best food delivery by providing various payment options aside from cash for your guests. Think paying with Apple Pay and Google Pay, which can easily be worked out with the One2 ordering system.
4. Determine the packaging
Even if you have to spend a little more money, ensure to use decent packaging, letting customers have food delivered as close as possible to on-site dining at your restaurants. For instance, add security labels to bags to guarantee the integrity of the cuisine and groceries.
5. Consider capitalizing on a suitable online ordering platform
You need food apps that are intuitive and let you accept meal orders in just a few taps. Besides, the app should work to inform customers about the estimated delivery time. With it, you can centralize customer data aside from your restaurant orders. Online ordering platforms likewise make it effortless to see the menu, order food, and process payments. An all-in-one platform like that is cost-effective and One2 is a popular example of the system.
6. Market your restaurant delivery service
You can promote the delivery services of your local restaurants and stores by/ through:
- Informing your in-house customers following their meal or purchase of groceries.
- Offering a discount on the delivery fee
- Offering more deals and great deals for customers using the delivery service
- Your website.
- Social media sites
- Google My Business
- Email newsletters
- Paid advertising
- SMS
- Print materials such as stickers and flyers
- Food delivery service apps and other apps
Why is a third party delivery service a necessity?
1. Exactly what are third-party food delivery service apps?
Third-party delivery is a trusted option that enables local restaurants to outsource the delivery services to a third-party company instead of having to hire a delivery driver role for their store.
2. Which are the best food delivery apps?
Doordash
Pros:
- Various solutions
- A trusted network of delivery drivers in cities
- Integration with multiple POS systems.
Cons:
With its marketplace, restaurants get competition from not only other restaurants but also grocery stores.
Pricing:
15-30% commission prices plus extra delivery fees for on-demand deliveries.
Uber Eats
Pros:
- An active consumer marketplace with high exposure
- A trusted network of delivery drivers in cities
- Reporting to enhance your business performance
Cons:
No POS integration, so you need to get an extra device.
Pricing:
15-30% commission price points on deliveries & 6% on pickup orders.
GrubHub App
Pros:
- Good technical support
- Flexible delivery service for more reach
- Order management integration with multiple POS systems
Cons:
Has separate delivery and marketing solutions
Pricing:
5-20% commission price points on deliveries & pickup orders
Postmates
Pros:
- No credit card processing fee
- A larger delivery area thanks to its merger with Uber Eats
- Restaurants and stores joining it would get added to the Uber Eats app, too.
Cons:
But it has a subscription option for regular purchases (aka Postmates Unlimited)
Pricing:
About 30% commission price. Customers might get charged an extra 20% in service fees.
Delivery.com
Pros:
- A trusted network of delivery drivers in cities
- Delivery Points earned with every purchase
- Various delivery options like meals, dry cleaning, household items, and groceries - all brought to your door
Cons:
No integration with POS systems
Pricing:
About 15% commission price
3. How beneficial is it (actually)?
Firstly, it meets the demands as more and more consumers search for the best food delivery apps to access stores and restaurants.
Secondly, technologies adopted for the service like GPS and smartphone innovations boost your delivery efficiency.
Thirdly, it lets you avoid the hassle of managing more staff.
Importantly, the service helps increase sales by about 20% (Crain’s, 2016).
How to make the most of your third party delivery service: Leverage One2 App
One2 is a full-stack commission-free food ordering app intended for maximizing orders and streamlining delivery operations at the best cost. We work directly with the top third-party services, so customers get a lower delivery fee. For example, if they order from a delivery company, it costs $2 to have their meals delivered, but with One2, only $1. Ultimately, One2 enables you to manage every aspect of your business from a single platform. Contact us today!
Related questions
1. When did online food delivery start?
1995, the year Waiter.com, the 1st online food ordering service, was created.
2. Which food delivery service is cheapest?
Uber Eats. But on the other hand, it depends on your location, food, and whether prices are the only element you want to consider.
