Even before the recent pandemic made it common practice, the use of third-party food delivery apps was on the rise. It’s hard to argue with the trend. Having meals delivered directly to your door instead of having to go out and pick them up is undeniably convenient. For restaurant owners, however, the emergence of these services presents you with a difficult decision. Should you continue to rely on outside apps to connect with your customers. Or would you rather build your own in-house delivery service?
As with most decisions related to your business, there isn’t one right answer. As both options have their own distinct pros and cons. For example, third-party apps can have a group of drivers ready to make deliveries on your behalf. Also, they enable you to reach new customers who otherwise might not have been aware of your brand. On the other hand, they can take a significant portion of your income through service fees and lessen the amount of control you have over the customer experience.
Building your own delivery service
Building your own delivery service from the ground up may be a better alternative under certain circumstances. Not only would you have more control over the level of service provided. But you can also build customer loyalty by presenting your menu as the main attraction. The downsides to this approach, however, include increased overhead and being in competition with well-established third-party platforms.
Make no mistake, offering food delivery to your customers is something you’ll have to be prepared. For if you want to succeed in the current landscape. How you accomplish that, however, will be up to you. To learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of relying on third-party delivery apps. Versus implementing an in-house delivery service, take a look at the accompanying resource. It also contains tips you can use to help get started on whichever path you choose to take.
Infographic created by Clover, a Restaurant POS company
