Who would’ve thought for a second that restaurants would be empty from diners?

When we think about it, sometimes we can’t assimilate all the changes that came up and impacted our lives. 

Businesses were even faster in adapting to these changes and even embracing them, well at least most of them.

Restaurateurs quickly adjusted to the new market’s requirements and shifted their business from dine in services to takeouts and deliveries.

There is no doubt that people are looking for convenient alternatives for home cooking and dining out. 

No wonder that projections for the food delivery sector for 2024 are expected to reach 97 billion US dollars worldwide. 

How to satisfy your crowd’s hunger from the comfort of their homes?

Rework your menu to be travel friendly 

Unfortunately, not all your dine in menu options would work for deliveries.

Platters like noodles and stews are great for travel while, believe it or not, you have to be very careful when delivering fried food because it might get soggy.

Choose meals that are easy to assemble like the sauces or garnishes to add. 

It’s also wise to keep certain meals restricted to dine in so customers will pay you a special visit to enjoy them because the purpose is to improve your delivery services without  killing your dine in option.

You might want to keep meals that are time consuming to package off the delivery menu as well for more efficient deliveries.

Your delivery menu should be profitable as well so include your stars and promote your puzzles that are relatively cheap to prepare but travel well.

When adding a new item specifically for your off premises sales, make sure you use what you’ve already got in your stock and storage.

Try to recreate meals from your existing food supplies.

There are endless ways to create cheap meals that are delicious and stay fresh after traveling. 

If you have dough based items, you can make many appetizers like flatbread, pizzas, noodles or sandwiches.

Create a designated preparation area for deliveries and takeouts

If you are taking the delivery optimization seriously then you must consider sparing a specific area designed for deliveries and takeouts.

Two main points to be taken into consideration:

A space for packing orders.

A modern POS  system that easily prioritizes orders.

Remember that the whole point is to optimize your off premises sales. Therefore, investing in a designated area for takeouts and deliveries contributes in maximizing the number of orders. 

It also ensures that orders are accurate and complete and not mixed up with the ones for dining in.

Promote your delivery services 

Get in touch with your customers and announce any additional services in your delivery or takeouts.

Use social media, newsletters, and pop ups on the website to promote your delivery services and to communicate any news related to deliveries such as free delivery or a new item. 

You should even communicate the most beneficial delivery method for your business to them. 

Train your team for deliveries 

It’s not a bad idea to hire people specifically for accommodating delivery and takeout orders if you are planning to increase the volume of your deliveries. 

This team  should be trained on the system to take orders and to use packaging optimally. 

It should also be trained to respond well to peak working hours and upcoming orders. 

Test their speed when packaging the food and how neatly they do it. 

Track any complaints about missing orders or add-ons  or wrong ones. 

If it’s repetitive, then you should hold them responsible for their mistakes. 

Don’t underestimate the power of periodic training to improve their skills. 

Focus on your packaging

Food packages are critical in deliveries. 

The packaging should allow no spillage and the temperature of the food should be as good to eat as if it was served at a restaurant. 

You need to consider the branding on the packaging. The logo and the theme of the restaurant should be clearly displayed on the packaging. 

 When the food arrives to the customer, it should be appealing. That's why it’s critical to invest in good packages. 

Don’t forget the add-ons like parmesan cheese, chilli flakes, condiments or sauces. The delivered food experience should be delightful and fulfilling.

Rely on technology 

For smooth delivery operations, use your POS to take orders and an integrated kitchen management system to facilitate communication between different employees and minimize human errors. 

Check out this blog for more information on kitchen management.

When it comes to food deliveries, you cannot compromise on the quality of the food delivery nor the preparation efficiency.

With the pandemic still in control of our lives and impacting our lifestyles and with all technology taking over, delivery services are to bloom.