If you offer delivery in your restaurant, have you taken a look at your delivery times and ratings? These are important factors in evaluating the success of your delivery.
How Can I Optimize My Restaurant’s Delivery Service?
- Trim your menu – Your restaurant may have an expansive menu for dine-in options, but consider trimming it. A smaller menu for delivery allows your kitchen to quickly make food for orders. Consider only offering items that will travel well and stay fresh to reach your customer.
- Invest in delivery bags – Quality insulated delivery bags are essential to keeping food fresh and hot/cold. Bags allow delivery people to comfortably tote around food while delivering on a bike, in the car, or any way else.
- Research partners – New to offering delivery? Consider using a third-party delivery service to start out. Research all of the big names in food delivery and see what works best for your establishment. It can be overwhelming to start offering delivery with your own people, and services can provide expertise.
- Utilize technology – Make sure to use your website, delivery apps, or ordering apps to offer a seamless ordering and tracking experience. A benefit of utilizing third-party delivery services is their already-developed apps that offer tracking, ordering, and reviews all in one.
- Offer leave at door service – During times of uncertainty, offering “leave at the doorstep” service is convenient and offers peace of mind for customers not wanting to accept deliveries face-to-face.
7. Keep costs low – Costs and fees can rack up when charging customers for delivery. Make conscious decisions when choosing menu items, third-party services, and more. Upcharge for delivery can be up to 30% and that can drive customers away, especially in the beginning.
8. Split delivery – If you have the capacity, consider implementing your own delivery service alongside a third party. Offer in-house delivery during slower times at first to work out the kinks and use third-party services during busy times. Their expertise can teach you to optimize better for delivery times.
10. Advertise – Be sure to tell your customers about offering delivery! Utilize social media to communicate with customers about delivery specials, offers, and how to order online.
More on Restaurant Delivery Services
Looking to learn more about adopting delivery to your operations? Read more on how to offer the best experience to your customers.
Kelsey Moriarty is a Content Specialist at Central Restaurant Products. Her focus at Central is in the Food Prep and Furniture areas. Kelsey’s background is in technology and marketing with particular experience in SEO and E-Commerce. She enjoys helping customers make better decisions as well as working on her copywriting skills!
