Uber Eats 101: The Essential Guide for Restaurants
In today’s world, consumers can have everything from batteries to vehicles delivered directly to their front doors. As online merchants dominate the economy, technology has elicited a huge change in the way that the world functions and perhaps an even bigger change in consumer expectations. This extends to nearly all industries, but the growth has been most notable in the food industry. In the past, hungry patrons were left with few options for food delivery. Typically, this meant that they were limited to a pizza shop or Chinese eatery within a few miles of their homes. If they craved their favorite dish from the bistro across town, they were left with no other choice but to drive to the establishment and pick up their order. If transportation, time or a lack of desire to leave home were factors, they would be forced to forgo takeout all together. For consumers, this presented a frustrating dilemma and for restaurants, it represented missed revenue. Out of this realization on both ends, third party food delivery services like Uber Eats were born.
What is Uber Eats?
Uber Eats is a service that was first launched by Uber in 2014. This platform partners with local restaurants to provide their patrons with convenient delivery services. Uber Eats, for restaurants, means that they do not have to hire and train in house drivers. Instead, Uber Eats hires and trains their own drivers who complete deliveries for all of the restaurants that are partnered with the service in their area.
How Does Uber Eats Work for Restaurants?
When a restaurant decides to partner with Uber Eats, the process is a simple one that typically only takes a few days. The restaurant signs up for the service, provides information about their restaurant and then uploads their menu to the platform. From there, they pay a one-time activation fee which includes a welcome kit, tablet, restaurant software and a photo shoot. After the kit is received, restaurants and their menus will appear within the Uber Eats app and customers can begin placing orders. Restaurant staff members will receive the incoming orders on the tablet provided and the orders are prepared like any other takeout order. When it is ready, an Uber Eats driver will arrive at the restaurant to pick up the order and deliver it to the customer. All payments are handled via the Uber Eats app (including a service fee that is calculated as a percentage).
How Does Uber Eats Work for Customers?
Uber Eats is a rapidly growing platform that serves customers in 13 countries. Users begin by downloading the app on their smart phones or tablets, where they enter their name, address and payment details. Based on the address provided, Uber Eats automatically locates partnered restaurants that are within their delivery radius and presents these options to potential customers. Along with the name, price point and cuisine type, they can view a timeframe for delivery and restaurant ratings from fellow Uber Eats users. After they make a restaurant selection, they can view the menu and create their order. Once their order is complete, they pay for the purchase using a debit or credit card, Paypal or Apple Pay. They are provided with a delivery time estimate and can track the status of their order within the app. They simply wait for the Uber Eats driver to arrive and then collect their order. Afterwards, they can rate the restaurant as well as the driver. Frequent users can invest in an “Uber Eats Pass” which allows for unlimited free deliveries for a monthly fee of $9.99.
What Are the Benefits of Becoming an Uber Eats Restaurant Partner?
Surprisingly, the benefits of partnering with Uber Eats extend well beyond convenience and customer satisfaction. Approximately 60% of restaurants that use Uber Eats have noted an influx in sales as a result of the partnership without the need to expand their capacity. This means that their overhead costs remain the same, yet they are generating additional revenue. Likewise, many customers report that they are likely to spend more money on take out orders than they would if they were eating directly in the establishment. While an increase in revenue is always a bonus, many restaurants discover that the biggest advantage of their partnership is the increased visibility. This is especially true for small or newly established restaurants that do not have a wide reach on their own. Simply appearing on the Uber Eats app draws in a new crowd of customers who otherwise may not have been aware of the restaurant’s existence. Because the Uber Eats delivery radius is much wider than a restaurant would offer with an in-house driver, new customers can also be drawn in from further away.
What Are the Downsides to Using Uber Eats in a Restaurant?
While most restaurants experience success with Uber Eats, it doesn’t work for all establishments. For example, a small ice cream shop may have difficulties preparing take out orders that need to travel beyond a few miles. Naturally, they risk their product melting during delivery, and it could hinder customer satisfaction. Other eateries that offer tough to deliver dishes may also find Uber Eats to cause more frustration than satisfaction; however, these instances are rare. In most cases, restaurants are accustomed to preparing take-out orders and if they have an adequate supply of containers that travel well, the partnership is a beneficial one. Another common complaint from restaurant staff comes when the restaurant is partnered with several third-party food deliver services. Because each service will need their own tablet to receive orders, it can become hectic for the staff to manage. Fortunately, there are apps, such as OrderOut that allow restaurants to integrate all their food delivery service orders into their point-of-sale system and streamline the process.
Tips for Using Uber Eats in Restaurants
1. Advertise the partnership in the restaurant, on social media and on the restaurant’s website.
Existing customers simply may not be aware that the restaurant has partnered with Uber Eats. Be sure to advertise and inform them of how the service works if they are unfamiliar.
2. Use the Uber Eats Restaurant Manager Software
On the tablet provided by Uber Eats, restaurants are given access to a dashboard that allows them to track orders, manage deliveries, sales data and customer insights. These statistics are immensely helpful in determining the value of the Uber Eats partnership for each specific restaurant.
3. Invest in Point-of-Sale System Integration
From 2017 to 2022, restaurant delivery sales are expected to rise by a whopping 77%. Because of this immense upturn, it is wise to prepare for the future. If you plan to partner with Uber Eats and several other third-party food delivery services, be sure to invest in point-of-sale system integration to keep orders flowing smoothly.
If you are curious about partnering with Uber Eats at your restaurant, be sure to set yourself up for success by preparing staff members, purchasing additional take out supplies and by exploring the experiences of other partnered restaurants in your area. Learn more about Uber Eats partnerships today!
