Restaurant Curbside Pickup is in
It’s a given that staying in your home is safer than it is to go out for dine-in. So the question is what are your options for ordering from a restaurant? A restaurant’s curbside pickup or home delivery?
Using Uber Eats or any other delivery service is an attractive option for customers especially for those who don’t have a car. However, for both restaurants and customers, it might not be such a good financial idea to have delivery to your home.
No matter the type of service, delivery drivers or a customer pickup service, there will be extra costs for restaurenteurs that pay for the extra workers that focus on cleanliness. Not only is the delivery person another set of hands who touch the food, but it’s also more expensive for restaurants and eats away at their profits significantly.
Let’s quickly look at an important stat — 30% of the restaurant’s profit goes to the established delivery service the pay for which is a huge chunk of moola for the already struggling restaurant!
Home Delivery
Delivery apps like Uber Eats have had the headstart in optimizing the delivery experience prior to the pandemic, ahead of the local mom and pops who have much to learn and adapt to.
Because delivery apps have more experience up to par to the infrastructure of a prepared grocery store for those who grocery shop online, a restaurant benefits more from avoiding delivery all together. Whether that is making a delivery service/system themselves or using a third-party home delivery service, a positive ROI is likely not possible.
Compared to grocery delivery, “The markdowns and manager specials they offer when they have overstock or when items are close to expiring probably won’t be available to you,” says Steve Economides, a shopping expert who with his wife, Annette, runs the website MoneySmartFamily.com But there’s a definite convenience factor to consider. (consumerreports.org) Seeing the food before it makes its way to your home is ideal, in which you can view the food if you do a grocery store pickup.
Delivery drivers pickup orders and deliver to your front door, meaning you tip twice, the driver and then the restaurant. Using a third party delivery service can make for more expenses for your restaurant and for customers themselves.
Third-party delivery platforms can make meals cost up to 91% more for customers (New York Times)
Not only are there already service fees to think about, but delivery apps have surge pricing affecting customers that many restaurants wouldn’t even think of doing to their customers.
Curbside Pickup
Much like having a grocery personal shopper from Whole Foods’, restaurants have designated workers for curbside service and others for cleaning every surface thinkable. Restaurants have free pickup and don’t charge double the tips.
You can do an online order and by the time you drive from your home to the store, the food will be ready.
Not many restaurants have taken the step to upgrade their technology like online grocery options that would allow for pickup times of your choice and notifications on how your food is doing by text. An example of a possible POS(cash registers, waiters ordering customer’s food) service to invest in is Toast. Toast allows for online ordering so you can order ahead of time. Curbside Pickup is beginning to look more and more appealing.
Coming up with a new system for restaurant delivery is a big investment that hasn’t been proven to work. It is a big leap of faith for any restaurant to take but can be more appealing to potential customers. 50% of Gen Z consumers are willing to try out a new restaurant if curbside is an option (Bluedot)
Food Delivery vs Curbside Pickup, Which is Safer for the Consumer?
Ordering online or calling in for curbside pickup is ideal compared to dining in or delivery when you consider the ability of how the COVID-19 virus spreads. While restaurants are being careful to take effective safety measures, blacklight experiments like these https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/13/health/japan-black-light-experiment-coronavirus-trnd-wellness/index.html prove that hand washing hands and wearing gloves may not be enough to stay safe.
A nurse displayed the importance of washing your hands through a TikTok rant with her son using only water, soap, and pepper. She put soap on her finger and inserted it in the bowl of water and pepper. And just like that, the pepper spread to the outer bowl to avoid the soapy finger. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/04/us/spreading-germs-nurse-trnd/index.html Her general message? “There’s no point in wearing gloves if you’re not gonna wash your hands every time you touch something,” she said in the video.
As the debate continues on how to maintain the health of customers and waitstaff keep in mind that your local restaurants are hurting right now and are doing their best to stay afloat.
“Call your local restaurant to order food. Don’t use apps. And don’t be mad if it takes a little too long. They’re trying to do it as safely as they can.” Via @NPR
For restaurant owners who need to stay up to date on Food Safety and Reopenings https://restaurant.org/Covid19
For customers: Is It Safe to Eat at Restaurants Yet?
https://www.eater.com/21262619/is-it-safe-to-eat-out-coronavirus-restaurant-safety-risks-covid-19
Looking for a way to support your local restaurant without risking your health? Buy gift cards!
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