Third-party food delivery services are growing like mad, and the trend, led by younger diners ages 18–34, shows no signs of slowing. Consumers are ordering takeout and delivery food about as often as they dine in at a restaurant — about 3–5 times a month, according to a 2024 survey of 850 customers.
Who is winning this horse race? Customers rate independent restaurants highest on service, including accuracy, speed of delivery, and freshness of their food. Chain restaurants are No. 2, followed by convenience stores, according to InTouch Insight.
The leading third-party delivery services are consolidating their dominance. A staggering 21 million U.S. customers downloaded the No. 1 mobile app, DoorDash, in 2023, nearly twice as many as Uber Eats and three times as many as Grubhub. That may be at least partly because DoorDash outperformed the others by a wide margin on order accuracy, according to the InTouch survey.
Here are a few other factors separating the winners from the also-rans:
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In-house ordering systems are favored. Given a choice, most diners would rather use a restaurant’s own delivery channel than a third-party app, according to a 2024 survey by Toast, a cloud-based management system. Some 42% of those surveyed say ordering directly from the restaurant is at least somewhat important.
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Get it there fast. Asian restaurants score highest on speed of delivery. Some delivery services strive for as many as seven or more deliveries per hour — a bone-chilling rush in the context of the crowded streets and highways that delivery drivers must travel in many areas.
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Let them have it their way. Burger chains lead the pack in allowing customers to personalize their orders, with 100% of customers surveyed saying they could do so. That compares with 95% of Mexican restaurant customers and 89% at Asian restaurants.
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Get it there fresh. Many restaurants have alienated customers by delivering fries that have turned soggy, ice cream that has melted, or pizza as cold as cardboard. Successful delivery is based on preparing items to remain appetizing throughout the delivery process, including ultracold storage for cold desserts.
