Many restaurants have started offering delivery services in the past few years. Whether your restaurant is among them or is just considering the option, there’s no doubt that delivery services have great potential. They offer a safe way for guests to enjoy your food in the comfort of their own homes. Offering a restaurant delivery menu means that your restaurant can be less crowded. This is great for any capacity limitations that you may be working under. It also means that your restaurant can continue to serve a large number of clients.
Delivery menus also give you access to new clients, such as those who are elderly, disabled, or otherwise housebound. Without delivery options, they may not ever be able to experience your restaurant’s offerings. Additionally, delivery options are loved by busy families. These customers may not have time for a sit-down meal but are looking for something a bit more high-class than takeout on a busy night.
As you can see, there are an abundance of reasons that your restaurant may consider offering takeout options if you aren’t already. No matter if you already offer this fantastic service or are still deciding if it’s a good choice for your business, it’s important to carefully craft the options you offer on your delivery menu. Calibrating or recalibrating your restaurant delivery menu for success will ensure that you can get the most out of this new service.
Selecting Items for Your Restaurant Delivery Menu
Your restaurant delivery menu doesn’t have to be large and all-encompassing. You don’t need to offer everything that you offer on your in-house dining menu, but you can if you’d like. The positives of offering the full menu are that everyone will have access to their favorites that they’re used to ordering when eating in your dining room, but the downside is that some items may not travel well or be ordered infrequently, interrupting your flow of kitchen operations as you try to streamline cooking orders for in-house diners and delivery orders.
Start building your delivery menu with a selection of old favorites. From appetizers to desserts, you should already have an idea of what’s always popular with your in-house diners. From there, round out the menu, making sure that you have a few kid-friendly options and dishes that will suit those with dietary restrictions.
Considerations for Your Delivery Selections
There are a few additional considerations you’ll want to keep in mind when planning your delivery menu. First, are there any items that need to be specially packaged in order to travel well? This may include desserts like ice cream–you may want to leave these off your delivery menu entirely. Other meals may require you to invest in special packaging in order to ensure that they stay intact. This may or may not be worth it when you evaluate the costs involved.
Overall, crafting a great delivery menu takes some time, but can have great payoffs for your restaurant. Increased traffic and revenue are just a few of the benefits your business can experience. Best of luck!
