In this day and age, there is almost no soul left in the developed world who has not used or at least heard of food delivery apps. These apps, which boomed during the Covid-19 pandemic, are redefining the restaurant industry right before our eyes.
And these statements are not mere rhetoric, all this praise is backed up by solid statistics. According to informed analysts, the global food delivery market is valued at less than a Trillion U.S Dollars as of this year. And the market is expected to grow to almost a trillion and a half USD by the end of 2027.
And even though these revenues include food deliveries made via all platforms including restaurants’ own delivery services, food delivery apps account for an astonishing quarter of these figures. This is startling, considering that restaurant delivery has been around for ages, and up until five years ago no one had even heard of food delivery apps.
While the growth of these food delivery apps has caused a headache for many established restaurant chains which have seen their foot traffic fall by many folds, these apps offer a golden growth opportunity for smaller family-owned restaurants.
But before we talk about how food delivery apps can give a much-needed boost to your business, it is pertinent to mention one very important fact. Any small restaurant looking to make the most of online services must have access to high-speed broadband internet.
And there is no shortage of options. Dozens of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are beaming extremely fast-paced internet across the continental United States. In fact, there are so many options that choosing the right one can become a little confusing sometimes.
But worry not, there are plenty of online platforms likeLocal Cable Dealsthat offer an in-depth side-by-side comparison of all internet providers operating out of your area. You can compare deals and packages and easily decide on the option that best suits your needs without having to spend hours on futile research.
Now that we have discussed this essential pre-requisite let’s take a look at how effective use of food delivery apps can help you expand your small family-owned restaurant.
SAY GOODBYE TO EXPENSIVE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
If you are just starting out in the restaurant industry and do not have an uncle on wall street, do not spend a single dime on setting up physical infrastructure. You can just operate out of your kitchen and focus on preparing good food.
让一个帐户在多个食品交付应用程序s, set up an eye-catching menu, think of a few taglines, and yes, prepare stellar food and you are good to go. No need to worry about hiring additional staff, or making down payments on buildings, save your money.
You can make these investments later on, but only after you have got your business ball rolling.
DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT MAKING THE DELIVERIES YOURSELF
If you are running a small family-owned restaurant and want to get into the lucrative food delivery market, just create an account on any, or many, food delivery apps with good reviews.
Creating dedicated in-house delivery systems and hiring riders is a luxury only the big dogs can afford. So, let them spend their time, money, and energy on managing deliveries while you invest everything you have into making good food.
And yes, do not even think about making the deliveries yourself. Sure, it may make sense to you in the short term, after all, you won’t have to pay out commissions to delivery apps. But doing so will take your precious attention away from running your restaurant and trust us, this attention is priceless.
PAY ATTENTION TO ONLINE MARKETING
Customer interaction is always the lynchpin of any successful business venture. So, what if you cannot physically interact with your customers, there are several other ways of doing so, pay attention to these avenues.
Your packaging should be pristine, and your online menu should pop out. Ensure that you promptly respond to customers’ requests, complaints, and queries, because people like responsive businesses.
Also, o not forget to through in the odd promotional package or coupon every now and then, it will help you broaden your customer base.
And lastly, do not hand over your food to the delivery boy and forget about it. Take constant feedback, and make sure that your food is reaching the customers in an appropriate and timely fashion, it’s your name on the box after all.
WRAP UP
Apps are the future of food delivery, there is no escaping this reality. And while bigger fish might feel threatened by this change, small family-owned restaurants should try to make the most out of the disruption these apps are causing.
Who knows maybe the next big idea is hiding under your kitchen shelf?
