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Running a brick-and-mortar restaurant used to be all about dine-in service, but times have changed. Food delivery apps and online ordering platforms have made it easier for everyone to get food without leaving home.
Offering delivery can help you increase sales, attract new customers, and keep existing customers coming back. But where do you start?
Should you use third-party delivery services, or is an in-house delivery model better? What makes a restaurant's online ordering system work?
This guide will walk you through how to set up a food delivery service for your restaurant, choose between third-party services and an in-house delivery team, and build a successful delivery-only restaurant strategy.
Restaurants that offer takeout and delivery reach more people, increase sales, and stay ahead of competitors.
Many customers order food online because it saves time.
A brick-and-mortar restaurant can only serve a limited number of people at a time, but a restaurant with a delivery system can reach many more customers.
By offering a delivery option, you can serve hungry customers who may not have the time to visit in person.
Food delivery apps and online ordering platforms allow you to serve people outside of your usual walk-in traffic.
If your restaurant is in a small town or tucked away in a quiet street, delivery can help you reach customers who might not have found you otherwise.
These days, customers expect a convenient delivery option. With mobile ordering apps, they can order online in seconds.
A smooth online ordering solution keeps them coming back, increasing repeat business.
A delivery system allows you to test new options to sell your food.
Some restaurants have even launched delivery-only kitchens, known as ghost kitchens, where they prepare food just for delivery without a dining area.
Many restaurants are now offering delivery and those that don’t risk falling behind.
If similar restaurants in your area have delivery options, you need to keep up. Not offering delivery could mean losing potential customers to other businesses.
Setting up a food delivery service requires more than just adding an online ordering button to your website. You need a clear strategy to manage orders, deliveries, and customer expectations.
The steps below will guide you through the process.
Before launching your delivery service, you need to decide how the orders will be fulfilled. There are three primary options:
With this option, you manage everything, including hiring delivery drivers, maintaining vehicles, and setting up an online ordering system.
In-house delivery gives you full control over customer experience, delivery times, and service quality.
Pros:
Cons:
Restaurants can partner with third-party delivery platforms such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub. These services handle the logistics, so you don’t have to manage delivery drivers or vehicles.
Pros:
Cons:
Some restaurants use both in-house delivery and third-party services. This allows them to keep their own delivery service for local customers while using third-party apps to reach more people.
Pros:
Cons:
Once you have chosen your delivery model, the next step is to set up an online ordering system that allows customers to place orders easily.
A smooth ordering process increases online sales, improves customer experience, and helps you track and manage delivery orders.
Your restaurant needs a way for customers to order food online.
You can either use your own restaurant website with a built-in online ordering menu or work with third-party online ordering platforms.
Many restaurants prefer having their own online ordering system to avoid third-party commission fees and control the ordering process.
This allows existing customers to place orders directly from your website instead of through third-party delivery platforms.
Benefits of using your own system:
If you don’t want to manage your own ordering system, you can use food delivery apps such as:
These platforms already have a large customer base, helping you attract new customers who may not know about your restaurant.
However, they charge high commission fees (15-30%), which can reduce profit margins.
Benefits of using third-party ordering platforms:
A poorly designed delivery menu can lead to lost sales. Customers need to see clear options, simple descriptions, and appealing images.
Some best practices to consider:
If you are taking online orders, you need a way to manage them efficiently.
A restaurant POS system can sync your online ordering system with your kitchen operations.
It can automatically send orders to the kitchen, track delivery times and fulfillment status, and analyze order data to improve your menu and pricing.
Customers expect fast and secure payment options when ordering online. You should offer:
Your delivery menu is not the same as your dine-in menu. Certain foods travel well, while others lose quality during transit. A well-optimized menu ensures customers receive fresh, delicious meals that match their expectations.
Some dishes lose texture, taste, or presentation when delivered. To increase customer satisfaction, deliver food that stays fresh during transport, such as:
Foods that don’t travel well include:
If your restaurant specializes in dishes that don’t deliver well, consider using better packaging to improve food quality during transport.
Food delivery orders should be easy to handle and eat. Adjust portion sizes, packaging, and presentation to suit delivery customers.
Pricing delivery orders can be tricky. Restaurants need to cover delivery costs without making prices too high for customers.
Adjust prices to cover 15-30% commission fees if using third-party services. To encourage large orders, offer combo deals and value meals with drinks and sides.
If using your own delivery team, calculate costs and set a reasonable delivery charge.
Before making your online menu available, run tests to check food quality and customer experience.
A reliable delivery service requires well-planned logistics, including hiring drivers, managing delivery times, and choosing the right equipment.
If you plan to manage deliveries yourself, you will need to hire reliable delivery drivers.
Drivers are responsible for picking up food, ensuring safe transportation, and providing good customer service upon arrival. To hire delivery drivers:
Don’t forget to train your delivery team about the following:
The type of delivery vehicle depends on the distance, location, and type of food being delivered. Vehicle options for food delivery include:
Some essential equipment for safe food delivery:
Your restaurant needs to decide how far you will deliver and whether you will charge a delivery fee. Setting clear delivery boundaries helps prevent delayed deliveries and cold food.
Start by covering nearby areas and expand gradually based on demand and available drivers.
Use heatmaps and customer data to identify popular delivery zones and adjust them based on traffic conditions.
When setting delivery fees, you can offer free delivery for orders over a certain amount or charge a small fixed fee based on distance.
Another option is to slightly increase menu prices to cover delivery costs. You can also use third-party delivery apps to handle pricing automatically.
Even if food is prepared well, poor packaging and handling can lead to mushy fries, spilled drinks, or cold meals.
Proper food storage ensures that customers receive their meals in the best condition.
Use heat-retaining packaging to keep meals warm. Hot and cold items should be packed separately to maintain temperatures.
Sauces and dressings belong on the side to avoid fogginess.
For accurate order handling, label the bags with customer names.
Customers expect fast and accurate deliveries. If food arrives late or in bad condition, they may leave negative reviews or stop ordering from your restaurant.
Consider the following to improve delivery times:
Many restaurants fail because they don’t market their food delivery service effectively.
A strong marketing strategy will help you reach new customers, have more sales, and build loyalty among existing buyers.
Below are the best ways to promote your restaurant delivery service.
Your restaurant website should clearly display that you offer delivery. If customers visit your site and don’t see an easy way to order, they might leave and choose another restaurant.
Ways to improve your website for online orders include:
Common social media marketing:
People love deals and discounts, especially when trying a new restaurant for the first time.
Running promotions can encourage repeat business and help you attract new online orders. For example:
Many people look for restaurants by searching “food delivery near me” or “best pizza delivery” on Google. Being visible in local search results helps attract more customers without spending money on ads.
To increase your visibility, you need to optimize your restaurant for local searches.
Claim your Google My Business profile and include delivery details. Use keywords like “restaurant delivery service” on your website to improve search rankings.
Encourage customer reviews to build credibility and boost visibility. Adding high-quality photos of your food and restaurant can also attract more customers.
Online ads can target customers in your area who are looking for a restaurant delivery service.
Some of the best platforms for restaurant ads:
People trust recommendations from influencers and bloggers. Partnering with local food reviewers can help you reach a larger audience.
Do the following to work with influencers:
Successful restaurants analyze order data, customer feedback, and delivery times to optimize their online ordering system and increase sales.
Monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) helps identify bottlenecks, improve customer experience, and boost efficiency.
Keeping an eye on delivery performance and customer satisfaction helps you understand what’s working and what needs improvement.
Metrics to track:
Customer reviews provide valuable insights into what’s working and what needs improvement.
Some ways to collect customer feedback:
Common customer complaints often include late deliveries, incorrect orders, or cold food. By addressing these problems, you can improve service and increase repeat business.
Analyzing which dishes sell the most can help you refine your delivery menu. For example:
Buildify Builds provides everything you need to grow your food delivery service and reach more customers, from creating a restaurant website to integrating mobile payments and delivery options.
Instead of paying for a mobile app that takes months to develop, you can get a website and downloadable app in less than 10 days for $399 per month.
The platform includes features like customer rewards, order tracking, and community deals to boost sales and retention.
For early-stage businesses, Buildify Builds also offers idea validation services starting at $8 per month. These include market reports, SWOT analyses, and landing pages to help businesses refine their strategies while saving on tech costs.
With user-friendly tools and a simple setup process, Buildify Builds helps restaurants, ghost kitchens, and delivery-only restaurant models compete in the growing online market.
Ready to set up food delivery the right way? Connect with Buildify Builds today.
DoorDash charges restaurants a commission fee of 15% to 30% per order, depending on the plan you choose. Additional fees may apply for marketing boosts, delivery services, and credit card processing. Some restaurants increase menu prices on DoorDash to offset these costs.
To set up a meal delivery service, start by creating a delivery-friendly menu with items that travel well. Then, choose an online ordering system that integrates with your POS system. Decide whether to use third-party delivery services or hire your own drivers. Finally, promote your service through social media, ads, and local marketing.
The cost of starting a restaurant delivery service depends on factors like hiring drivers, investing in packaging, and setting up an online ordering system. If using third-party apps, costs include commission fees and marketing expenses.
Restaurants that build their own delivery team must cover driver salaries, vehicles, and insurance. On average, startup costs can range from $1,000 to $5,000 or more, depending on the scale of the operation.
To set up online ordering, first, choose a restaurant's online ordering system. Add an online menu with high-quality images and clear pricing. Ensure that your ordering platform integrates with your POS system to avoid errors. Lastly, promote your online ordering solution through Google My Business, social media, and paid ads to drive more sales.