From digital menus to data security, an abundance of tech trends continues to disrupt the restaurant industry. But how do you know when to get on board or wait out what may be a passing fad or flop?
Let’s take a closer look at one of the most popular trends sweeping the restaurant world: third-party food delivery, along with four reasons why getting on board with this innovative enterprise may make smart sense for your establishment.
Delivering the Scoop on Third-Party Food Delivery Services
While consumers have long loved eating their favorite restaurant-quality meals in the comfort of their own homes, providing this service comes with certain challenges for restaurants.
And while the rapid growth of the food takeout and delivery market is a strong call (BI Intelligence estimates it as a $70-billion-a-year industry), keeping up with the managerial aspects of in-house delivery may seem like more trouble than it’s worth — particularly for small or new restaurant businesses.
Unfortunately, in opting out due to these concerns, these same restaurants end up missing out on critical growth opportunities.
In response to this dilemma, a new breed of businesses has emerged offering both online ordering and delivery services for restaurants seeking to cash in on the takeout trend without taking on the potentially troublesome task themselves.
4 Reasons To Give Third-Party Delivery a Go
There’s a reason (well, many reasons) why more and more forward-thinking businesses — from Chipotle to Starbucks — are outsourcing their ordering and delivery operations to third-party services. We’ve rounded up four specific ways restaurants can benefit from transitioning to this new approach.
1. Conquer New Customers
In order to grow and thrive, restaurants need new customers. The quickest way to get them? Broaden your reach.
Third-party delivery services give new customers easy access to your business by not only putting your menu in their hands (or on their computer screens or smartphones, as the case may be), but also by taking logistical factors like time and distance out of the equation.
While far-off customers may be unable to travel outside of their geographical comfort zone to try something new, third-party deliver services make it simple.
An added bonus? Once they’ve tasted and enjoyed your food, new customers will be more likely to venture into your physical restaurant, as well.
2. Reach Out to Regulars
Regulars are a mainstay of your business, and long as you continue to offer the excellent dining experiences they’ve come to expect, they’ll continue to support your restaurant with in-person visits.
Offering delivery, however, lets you deepen your relationship with regulars by providing a convenient alternative to eating out on nights when staying in is preferable.
Additionally, customers deciding whether to order out or stay in and cook are likely to be enticed by the simplicity of placing an order with a simple click or tap.
3. Make Convenience Count
Third-party delivery services not only offer increased convenience for diners, but also for restaurants themselves.
Rather than focusing your efforts on the logistical hassle of food delivery-related tasks, you can pay attention to doing what you do best: serving up high-quality food and a consummate in-house dining experience.
Not to mention that if you’ve ever attempted to juggle a packed Friday night with a phone constantly ringing with takeout orders, you’re likely well accustomed with the associated chaos and stress.
In handling orders electronically, third-party systems offer a quieter, less hectic house — even on your busiest nights. In addition to creating a calmer environment for your diners, this also makes your workplace a more positive place for employees. The result? A morale boost and increased retention.
4. Boost Your Bottom Line
Costs savings aren’t just reserved for customers. Restaurants save on everything from vehicles, gas and insurance to human capital. But switching to a third-party delivery service offers more than just trimmed costs: it also offers significantly increased revenues.
In fact, according to one report from leading online and mobile food ordering company GrubHub, restaurants see an average increase of 30 percent in the year following adopting third-party food delivery.
Smaller establishes saw even greater revenue increases of approximately 50 percent! GrubHub also reported major cuts to processing times, meaning quicker food preparation, better service, and more satisfied customers.
Whether you already offer takeout and delivery service or you’ve been pondering the possibilities but held back until now, third-party food delivery services offer a new and exciting way to build your business.
Not to mention that in an industry in which stagnation and failure often go hand-in-hand, adopting third-party food delivery may well become a critical evolutionary imperative for today’s restaurants.
Excellent Post Brian, Thanks for Sharing very informative guide about a reason to use a third-party food delivery service.
I like what you said about using delivery services to help your restaurant grow. My brother wants to open a restaurant next year, and I want to make sure that he’s successful. I’ll share this information with him so that he can look into his options for courier services that can help him with this.