How to Offer Delivery in 5 Easy Steps

Delivery is quickly becoming the main way people prefer to get food. This rings true now more than ever before because most people are either quarantined or following social distancing guidelines. Rather than just losing their business, you can offer delivery. There are a few main ways to do this: have an employee you already have be your delivery person, or you can outsource your delivery to a third-party system like Doordash or Ubereats. However you choose to do it, offering delivery is a great way to show your customers you care about their health and safety. 

How to Offer Delivery

Beginning to offer delivery may seem like a daunting task. It's a lot more simple than it seems. Here are 5 easy steps you can take to offer delivery in your restaurant.

1. Sign Up

The first step you need to take is to sign up to be listed on whatever website you choose. This entails entering details about your business and contact information. This usually only takes ten minutes or less.

2. Get Approved

After you've signed up on the website, you'll eventually be approved by the company. The amount of time this takes varies. Usually, it's about 3-7 days. Considering our current situation, most delivery companies have been able to cut this time down significantly.

3. Get Started

Once you've been approved, you'll need to add details about your restaurant. This means adding your menu and pricing, uploading pictures of your shop, and organizing orders. Third-party delivery companies will take a commission from orders ranging from 20%-30%. Adjust your pricing accordingly.

Another thing to consider is how you’ll package your orders. Consider using these unvented ice cream to-go containers so your ice cream stays colder longer. For frozen yogurt or ice cream with lots of toppings and extras, you could use a dome lid rather than a flat one.

4. Receive Orders

Depending on the delivery company you partner with, this step will differ. The basic way this goes is that you'll receive orders through an app, email, or fax. Then, you prepare the orders as you would a normal to-go order and a delivery-person will pick it up and deliver it to your customer. For an added level of safety, make sure everyone handling your food wears food safe glove, like these ones.

5. Advertise

Once you have your delivery service set up, you'll need to tell your customers about it. You can do this by physically advertising through signs and stickers in your store. The best way to advertise your delivery, however, is to do so online. People are more likely to see this while in quarantine. Post it on your Instagram and Facebook and promote the posts. Write about it on your website. People won't know you offer delivery if you don't tell them.

Offering delivery is a great way to show your customers that you care about their efforts to stay safe and healthy. They won't have to risk contamination while still enjoying your food. Delivery is simple and, with a third-party service like Doordash or Ubereats, you don't have to worry about dedicating an employee to delivery.

Tell us in the comments your experience with offering delivery!