Does Your Restaurant Deliver?

Delivery is on the rise! Rather than detract from on-premise sales, delivery is tapping into a new market of people who are just more content with staying home. With a large potential for growth available, it’s important to consider the many factors that make a delivery operation successful.

Methods for placing orders

According to the latest research from the NPD Group, restaurant digital orders, or orders placed via mobile app, internet, or text message, have grown by 23 percent over the past four years. Digital orders now represent 3.1 billion visits and $26.8 billion. Furthermore, 60 percent of digital orders were placed from a mobile app.

What’s to be learned from this data? Convenience is king. Though having someone available to take phone orders is still necessary (for now), creating an effortless online ordering experience for your customer is vital. Apart from skipping the phone call, customers value the ability to pay online and even earn rewards. All of these methods must be integrated into your point-of-sale checkout system to ensure a seamless transition between order, execution, and delivery.

Packaging

Do you serve the meals at your restaurant on styrofoam plates? If not, then you probably shouldn’t be sending your deliveries out in Styrofoam containers. Containers on the market today offer a variety of options to stand up to even the most challenging of meals. Pasta dinners, wings, French fries, and barbeque, can all still be offered for take-out with the right container. Proper ventilation, stack ability, and whether or not the container is microwave safe are all options to consider when deciding what type of packaging is right for you.

The industry is now catering to a new demographic of consumers who are more concerned with both health and sustainability. As a result, many suppliers on the National Restaurant Association show floor this year are looking ahead at the possibility for new standards going into effect that will restrict the use of products with fluorinated chemicals, or PFAS, which are often used to keep containers from leaking and provide a grease barrier. With these concerns brings a whole new range of sustainable food containers to choose from.

In addition to sustainability concerns, many suppliers are seeking to address new issues introduced with the latest influx of deliveries. You can now purchase many different items to help put customers’ minds at ease about ordering via third-party delivery apps. Tamper proof packaging including bags, containers, and stickers are examples of such items.

Third-Party Delivery Apps

Partnering with third-party apps like DoorDash, UberEats, or Grubhub isn’t always a no brainer for every restaurant. There are a number of factors to consider before making the leap to letting another business become responsible for your product.

Cost is certainly a factor to consider. Not only will your restaurant be responsible for fees to the third party, but you will need to factor in the cost of creating an organized operation that incorporates the third-party. This may include incorporating the app into existing POS, dedicating additional counter or storage space for orders, and reserving parking spaces for delivery drivers.

After making the decision to actually use with a third-party delivery system, you will then need to make the decision of how many. Some choose to go with multiple apps, while others are more selective. Regardless, it’s important to fully research the fees associated with each app as well as the level of support they offer in terms of technology, driver concerns, and customer complaints.

Delivery can be a profitable business segment with the proper planning and tools to execute your vision. If you can bring a meal straight to your customer’s door without compromising quality, then you’ll deliver!

*For more information on packaging options, please contact your SFS sales rep!