The restaurant industry saw a significant increase in delivery and takeout during the COVID-19 lockdown. As lockdown restrictions were lifted, restaurant owners expected some customers to return in person while still following safety measures. However, most restaurants were still getting more delivery orders than ever.

Because of the vast influx of delivery orders, restaurants have ramped up their takeout, delivery, and online ordering services either through their system or third-party delivery apps such as DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub, and more. Restaurants found that ramping up their delivery services had mitigated some of their losses from in-person dining during 2020 and 2021.1 

According to Toast's study, restaurants in the U.S. saw a daily sales decline of 80%.2  Although sales have been increasing again, the trends are different now than in past years. In 2020-2021, "13% of guests reported that they ordered delivery more, while 10% of guests reported that they ordered delivery significantly more now than pre-COVID times."3 

However, with most marketing-related things, restaurants must make consumers aware of their delivery, takeout, and online ordering services. Delivery apps like DoorDash and UberEats allow restaurants to pay a little extra to promote their restaurants on the suggested list or promote delivery discounts.

How to build an off-premise dining experience 

1. Create an online ordering system or start a subscription with a third-party delivery service like before.
2. Create an online-order specific menu or "online-only" menu items along with regular menu items
3. Make your online personality similar to your restaurant's contemporary ambiance. This will help current customers have a sense of familiarity, and new customers get to know your restaurant.
4. Maximize your restaurant's digital presence through branding online through your restaurant's website or social media platforms

For some restaurants, paying for third-party delivery apps or investing in an online ordering system can be costly, especially with current inflation. Here are some services that will help reduce those costs for your restaurant:

DeliverB4

• DeliverB4 is a platform that helps restaurants outsource their third-party orders through DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub, and more for delivery at a lower cost while retaining customer data.
• DeliverB4 solves commission fee issues. How? Restaurants can have the self-delivery option to save on marketplace fees. Then, DeliverB4 connects those marketplace orders and informs Skipcart of each order to be delivered from your restaurant to customers.
• Restaurants can continue to come through third-party delivery apps. DeliverB4 will capture the orders and connect them to Skipcart for delivery fulfillment.
• With DeliveryB4, restaurants can save 28% in marketplace fees and $19,710 in annual savings per location.

OrderB4

• OrderB4 is the first multi-brand ordering platform designed explicitly for Ghost Kitchens and Virtual Brand management and operations. It is a customizable, cloud-based system.
• Enables direct-to-consumer multi-brand ordering in one checkout directly from the restaurant's website or in-person for takeout and curbside
• OrderB4 has integration with Skipcart and DoorDash, enabling delivery at a fraction of the cost compared to third-party delivery marketplaces like GrubHub and UberEats.
• Integrated marketing tools, brand and ghost kitchen management tools, and tech stacks help restaurants manage finance reports, order tracking, branding, and other logistics.

Goliath Consulting Group is a restaurant consultancy group based in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information on our services, visit http://www.goliathconsulting.com or email us at getresults@goliathconsulting.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get notified about our latest blog topic and restaurant news