Delivery Service is In: Here are 5 Ways Your Restaurant Can Optimize it

Number 1: Ensure That Your Menu is Online and Readily Available  

​Online orders primarily drove the growth of delivery orders during the pandemic. From a customer standpoint, it was an easy switch. Online ordering eliminated the hassle of waiting on the phone to place an order and allowed customers to pay within a few minutes.  

Accessing your menu needs to be just as easy, if not more so. When the name of the game is "convenience," it is paramount that your menu is easily readable online. Consider how it looks from a user standpoint in its organization, mobile-friendliness, accessibility, and social media presence.  

Organization 

Make sure your menu is not only online but that it is easy to read and well-organized into different sections, making it effortless to navigate. Adding visuals of your menu items can enhance the customer experience and help them understand what a particular dish looks like and its portion size.

Mobile-Friendly 

Smartphones have made accessing the internet more effortless than ever in the palm of your hand. Users access their phones multiple times a day. Your online menu can look terrific on a desktop, but it may not translate to mobile devices.  

Yet, nearly 55% of internet traffic comes from mobile devices. Be sure to check the accessibility of your menu on mobile devices. An online menu should be just as visually appealing on a smartphone as on a laptop or desktop. 

Accessibility

Nothing will deter your customers faster than the inability to find your menu on your website. They'll quickly move on to their next restaurant choice. The crux of delivery is convenience, so the same should go for starting the ordering process. 

Make sure your website's design allows viewers to find the menu from the home page quickly. A "menu" or "order here" tab at or near the top of your home page will make it easy and obvious to customers looking to start the ordering process.    

Social Media Presence 

Making sure Google search results will quickly yield your menu is essential too. A direct link to your menu when a potential customer searches your restaurant will increase the likelihood of the customer placing an order.

While we're on the topic of easy ordering, social media has become an increasingly helpful vehicle for online delivery ordering. Ensure your menu links to social media platforms in your bio or somewhere else front and center on your profile page.

Number 2: Know Your Delivery Zone 

Where and who you deliver to is just as important as anything else in this process. Your staff can focus on a general area by setting an established delivery radius. The radius also helps with efficiency when it comes to customer wait times, distance traveled, and food quality.

Regularly tracking delivery data for your business and tweaking the delivery radius will help optimize the process. Tweaks here and there will help identify which delivery areas are the most profitable for you. Focus on determining which days and times are most profitable. Then, shape your delivery options based on that.

Do you plan on partnering with a third-party delivery app service or having the food delivered by your employees? It's worth taking the time to look into which one makes the most sense for your business. If you do opt for a third-party delivery app, which one? Going with a third-party app will likely affect your delivery radius.

Number 3: Optimize Your Delivery Menu 

Be selective with your deliverable items. Choose items from your menu that you believe will travel well and use those to create a smaller delivery menu. It is more important that your food arrives at its end destination in the same quality state it was in when it left your store.  

Don't stress that you're taking items off your menu. A limited delivery menu gives people a reason to dine at your restaurant. Naturally, some menu items will likely be more conducive to traveling than others. Identify those items and make them available for delivery. 

Invest in the Proper To-Go Packaging 

Delivering food comes with challenges, especially if customers receive cold, damaged, or altered food in the transportation process. Proper packaging is the most helpful tool to avoid these issues.  

Avoid cutting corners when it comes to your selection of packaging. Insulated or moisture-resistant packaging is an excellent way to keep orders warm.  

Packaging is also a potential advertising opportunity. A great way to spread awareness about your business is by adding your branding to all the packaging. 

Number 4: No-Contact Payment Methods  

Payment methods requiring zero contact make things easier and are crucial for delivery. Delivery drivers shouldn't carry a card swiper or cash. Needing to do so is both an inconvenience and potentially dangerous for the driver.

Let the customers pay online or take their credit card information over the phone. Handle the payment process on the restaurant's front end rather than when the food arrives at its destination.

Consider Payment Apps

Consider evolving and accepting Apple Pay and other popular apps for your restaurant. Not only does it make online ordering more manageable, but it allows your customers to store their credit card information. Apps make it easier for regulars and repeat customers each time they order going forward.

In addition, this is another way to prevent delivery drivers from needing to break change and carry cash with them. Tipping online will also be more accessible and safer for all parties involved.

Number 5: Form a Dedicated Delivery Staff   

It is a good idea to have a portion of your staff dedicated to dealing strictly with delivery orders nowadays as the prevalence of delivery is growing. Just as restaurants have catering teams, they can benefit from having delivery ones too.  

Employees versed in delivery and carry-out practices will help ensure both sides of the operation are running efficiently. 

Suppose you outsource the actual food delivery to 3rd party apps. In that case, you can still benefit from having a kitchen team dedicated to completing delivery orders promptly and precisely.  

At any rate, delivery orders are still going strong, so make sure your business makes the most of it. Considering these five tips will help assure your delivery service is in a good place and ready to go.

Darling Ingredients Canada provides a comprehensive used cooking oil recycling program for restaurants and commercial kitchens alike. Reach out today to find out how your restaurant can benefit from a partnership. We can help take care of your messes for you, allowing you more time to perfect your delivery services. Call us (800) 263-0302.