Optimizing your restaurant for delivery
Covid-19 has forced many restaurants (and businesses in general) to change their business models, becoming particularly reliant on delivery, pick-up, or drive through.
Even if you’ve been doing delivery for a while, there are ways to optimize your delivery process and increase your revenue. Here are our top tips for optimizing delivery in your restaurant.
Optimize your menu for delivery
Sadly, not all dishes handle delivery well: think eggs (that smell!); calamari (chewy and soggy); and smoothies (likely to melt during transit). So take a look at your menu and work out which dishes are likely to survive the trip. Make a note on your website or menu which items are not available for delivery and remove these dishes from your online ordering system, so customers can’t accidentally order them.
It’s also a well-known fact that in-house diners are more likely to spend more than delivery customers - ordering a dessert as an afterthought or a glass of wine to accompany their steak. These extras are generally likely to have higher margins too. Look at how you can incentivize customers to add these items to their ‘basket’ when ordering - for example you may have your online ordering system recommend adding a dessert before the customer completes their order.
Finally, do some research on food packaging to ensure the dishes arrive safely at their destination, keeping warm (or cold) - and in one piece. Nobody likes a cold pasta with sauce dripping through the container …
Decide on your delivery radius
Consumers don’t want to wait an hour for their food, only for it to be delivered cold and soggy. If you’re based in Santa Monica, it’s not feasible to deliver to Anaheim - even Malibu is off limits.
Consider your delivery radius carefully, based on a combination of factors:
How long is your food likely to stay fresh? A bakery is more likely to have a wider delivery radius than a Mexican restaurant
How long is an order likely to take to be delivered? The longer a delivery takes, the more cost is incurred and the less drivers you have available to service other customers
Update your website
Your website is generally the first place potential customers will visit, so ensure someone in your team is responsible for keeping it up-to-date. This includes your opening hours; menu; and how customers can place an order.
Also make sure your business listing is up-to-date on Google and other search engines. Links to online ordering systems can be directly embedded within your Google business profile, making it just that little bit easier for your customers to get in contact with you.
Spread the word
If you don’t have a presence on social media, now is the perfect time to get one. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts can be quickly set up for free and allow you to communicate directly with customers on the delivery services you provide, or to offer special short-term deals. These platforms also offer advertising options, targeting consumers within your locale and thus bringing in new revenue.
If you have a customer database, you may wish to send out an e-mail blast informing existing customers of their delivery options. And it may be old school, but consider doing a leaflet drop of your menu to houses within your delivery zone - a cheap way to pick-up new customers!
Bring delivery in-house
Okay, we may be slightly bias here but there’s a reason: paying 30%+ commission for third-party delivery is just not sustainable in the long-term. Performing self-delivery not only lets you keep more of your profits, but it gives you a chance to retain employees and keep control over the complete customer experience, from ordering to delivery.
Some restaurants choose to offer both third-party delivery and in-house delivery to attract a wider range of customers. For existing customers, make sure you tell them about your preferred way for them to order. Many customers are not aware of the fees associated with third-party delivery apps, so consider dropping a note in their order bag asking them to order directly from you next time. Incentivise customers to order directly through you as well with a special offer, such as a free dessert or side.