Delivery vs. Takeout in Restaurants & Foodservice

There’s no question that more people prefer eating at home than dining in, but what are the stats and what are some ways to better equip your restaurant to be ready for an influx of online orders to go? Explore the possibilities when it comes to delivery vs. takeout in a restaurant and food service.

Why Are People Eating In More Often?

According to this survey put out by US Foods, 57% of people prefer to eat at home. This is simply because they can watch TV and wear comfy clothes that they wouldn’t wear outside of the house. All in all, it seems that restaurants are becoming either an experience or a convenience.

With takeout and delivery, folks don’t have to worry about cooking dinner while still getting a quality meal. If they decide to dine in, they can enjoy the perks of a great meal without having to worry about the clean up while also getting in some social interaction. There are benefits to both dining in and takeout. At the end of the day, it all depends on what your customers are feeling.

Benefits of Takeout vs. Delivery

While delivery is more convenient for customers, it costs more for the restaurant. Though you may still want to offer delivery, create some incentives for customers to pick up their own orders. Most people will take the extra time to come get their food instead of waiting for the delivery. Here are some benefits to both takeout and delivery:

Takeout Benefits

• No cost to the business unlike with delivery


• Less wait time


• No bad reviews because of cold food or mistakes

Delivery Benefits

• Extra income


• Chance for more orders


• Exposure to new customers

How to Adapt Your Restaurant for Takeout & Delivery

No matter if you’re focusing on enhancing your delivery options or you want to encourage customers to pick up their orders instead, we have a few tips that’ll help you get your restaurant and menu options ready.

Upgrade Your Space

The first thing to consider is space. Do you have an area in your front of house to place to-go orders? Designate a space where these orders can be placed so a third-party delivery service or customer coming in to pick it up knows where to look. Be sure to look into an overhead heating system or something to keep these orders warm until picked up. You’ll also want to designate a staff member to manage these orders so things don’t get lost.

Invest in the Experience

Any to-go options will require the right type of prep and equipment to give customers that same, or similar, eating experience they would get if dining in. To do this, keep the following in mind:

• Consider transport time when cooking and storing meals to go


• Upgrade to heavy-duty containers and utensils


• Stock up on moisture-resistant delivery bags


• Have the right disposables available for each type of menu item you offer

Choose Your Delivery Service: In-House or Third-Party

Having another company cover the delivery for you has its perks. However, you may want to consider delivering in-house. There are some vast differences between the two. Which is right for your restaurant?

• In-house delivery service – If you decide to have your staff deliver these orders, you can offer shorter delivery times, have more control over the menu options, create a seamless service through the POS system and have more control over the customer experience overall.


• Third-party delivery service – Going through a third-party for delivery means putting the control into their hands, lower profitability with app fees, less control on the menu items and even third-party marketing management.

Craft a Custom Menu

Creating the perfect menu for online customers to browse can make all the difference with your delivery services. Choose the popular items from your main menu, add on some other items that are prepped quickly and consistently, then think about the meals that will stay fresh the longest in your to-go containers. Once you have those all posted on your website or on a third-party site, and priced properly, then you can get cooking.