Food Delivery Strategy

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

Launch or optimize food delivery operations for a restaurant
Select and manage third-party delivery platforms
Design delivery-specific menus, packaging, and pricing strategies
Build quality control procedures for delivery orders

DO NOT use this skill for meal prep or meal kit businesses, grocery delivery, or catering logistics. This is for restaurant delivery operations.

Core Principle

DELIVERY IS A DIFFERENT PRODUCT THAN DINE-IN — THE FOOD MUST ARRIVE LOOKING AND TASTING AS INTENDED. IF A DISH DOES NOT TRAVEL WELL, IT DOES NOT BELONG ON THE DELIVERY MENU.

Phase 1: Brief

Required Inputs

Input	What to Ask	Default
Restaurant type	"What type of restaurant and cuisine?"	No default — must be provided
Current delivery status	"Do you currently offer delivery? Through which platforms?"	Not yet — planning to launch
Menu suitability	"Which menu items travel well? Which do not?"	Unknown — needs evaluation
Delivery radius	"How far are you willing to deliver?"	5-mile radius
Capacity	"Can your kitchen handle delivery volume on top of dine-in?"	Limited — need to manage carefully
Budget	"Are you willing to absorb platform commissions or pass costs to customers?"	Pass through as delivery fee markup

GATE: Confirm the brief before building the strategy.

Phase 2: Platform Strategy

Platform Comparison

Platform	Commission	Reach	Best For
DoorDash	15-30%	Largest US reach	Maximum exposure
Uber Eats	15-30%	Strong urban presence	Urban markets
Grubhub	15-30%	Northeast strong	Regional focus
Direct (own website)	0% + processing fees	Your customers	Repeat customers, higher margins
Toast/Square delivery	Lower commission	Integrated with POS	Existing Toast/Square users

Platform Strategy Options

Strategy	Description	Margin Impact
Multi-platform	List on 2-3 platforms for maximum reach	Lowest margin, highest volume
Platform + direct	Use 1 platform for discovery, push repeat orders to direct	Balanced
Direct only	Own ordering website or app	Highest margin, requires marketing

Pricing Strategy for Delivery

Option 1: Raise delivery menu prices 15-20% to offset commissions
Option 2: Keep same prices, absorb the commission (builds volume)
Option 3: Create delivery-exclusive combo deals with built-in margin

GATE: Confirm platform and pricing strategy before designing the delivery menu.

Phase 3: Operations

Delivery Menu Design

Evaluate each menu item for delivery suitability:

Criteria	Pass	Fail
Holds temperature for 30 minutes	Yes	Disqualified
Does not get soggy or wilt	Yes	Modify or remove
Looks presentable after transport	Yes	Modify or remove
Can be reheated without quality loss	Bonus	Not required
Packs efficiently	Yes	Modify container

Menu rules:

Remove items that do not travel well (crispy items that go soggy, items that require precise plating)
Add delivery-friendly items (bowls, wraps, sealed containers)
Create delivery-only combos that increase average order value
Offer family-size or multi-person options for higher ticket

Packaging Standards

## Packaging Requirements

| Food Type | Container | Seal | Notes |
|-----------|-----------|------|-------|
| Hot entrees | Microwave-safe, vented | Tamper-evident sticker | Vent prevents sogginess |
| Cold items | Separate container | Sealed lid | Keep away from hot items |
| Sauces/dressings | Small sealed cups | Snap lid | Always on the side |
| Drinks | Sealed cups with lids | Bag separately | Upright in carrier |
| Sides | Compartmentalized or separate | Sealed | Label each container |

**Additional:**
- Include napkins, utensils, and condiments in every order
- Add a branded sticker or thank-you card
- Use tamper-evident seals on all containers
- Bag hot and cold items separately

Quality Control Process

## Delivery Order QC Checklist

Before handing off to driver:
- [ ] All items in the order are present (check against ticket)
- [ ] Hot food is hot, cold food is cold
- [ ] Sauces and dressings are packaged separately
- [ ] All containers are sealed with tamper-evident stickers
- [ ] Utensils, napkins, and condiments included
- [ ] Order is bagged correctly (hot/cold separated)
- [ ] Receipt or order summary visible on the bag

Phase 4: Polish

1. Delivery-Specific Metrics

## Delivery Metrics

- **Delivery order volume:** Orders per day/week
- **Average delivery ticket:** Target 20-30% higher than dine-in
- **Delivery revenue as % of total:** Track growth over time
- **Platform commission costs:** Actual $ paid per platform per month
- **Order accuracy rate:** % of orders with no errors (target: 98%+)
- **Delivery rating:** Platform rating and review scores
- **Refund/complaint rate:** % of orders with issues (target: under 2%)
- **Prep-to-pickup time:** Average minutes from order to driver handoff

2. Customer Experience Touches

Include a handwritten or printed thank-you card in every delivery
Add a QR code linking to your direct ordering site (saves future commissions)
Offer a small loyalty incentive for direct orders: "Order from our website next time and save 10%"
Respond to every delivery review on platforms

3. Quality Checklist

## Delivery Strategy Checklist

- [ ] Delivery platforms selected with commission rates understood
- [ ] Delivery menu curated (items that travel well only)
- [ ] Delivery pricing strategy set (markup, same price, or combos)
- [ ] Packaging standards documented with container specs
- [ ] Quality control checklist posted at the delivery station
- [ ] Kitchen capacity plan accounts for delivery + dine-in volume
- [ ] Delivery metrics defined and tracked weekly
- [ ] Direct ordering option available (own website or system)
- [ ] Customer experience touches planned (thank-you cards, loyalty offer)
- [ ] Staff trained on delivery order workflow

Example

Restaurant: Fast-casual Thai, launching delivery

Delivery menu adjustments:

Removed: Crispy spring rolls (get soggy in transit)
Modified: Pad Thai packaged with sauce on the side (prevents mushiness)
Added: Thai Bowl combo (rice + protein + sauce, $14) — delivery-exclusive
Added: Family Pack (4 bowls + appetizer, $48) — delivery-exclusive

Pricing: 18% markup on delivery platforms. Same price on direct ordering website. Direct ordering promoted with "Save 15% — order from our website" card in every delivery bag.

Anti-Patterns

Putting your entire menu on delivery — not every dish travels well. A soggy delivery order loses a customer permanently.
Ignoring packaging — food that arrives cold, spilled, or mixed together gets a 1-star review. Invest in proper containers.
No quality check before handoff — wrong items and missing utensils are the top delivery complaints. Check every bag.
Same prices as dine-in on platforms — you are paying 20-30% commission. Either raise prices or accept the margin hit consciously.
Not promoting direct ordering — every delivery platform order costs you 20-30% in commission. Push customers to your own ordering channel.

Recovery

Low delivery ratings: Audit the last 10 negative reviews. Most complaints are: wrong items, cold food, or missing items. Fix the QC process.
Platform commissions are too high: Negotiate rates (possible at higher volume), raise delivery prices, or push customers to direct ordering.
Kitchen cannot handle delivery volume: Set delivery order limits during peak dine-in hours. Stagger availability.
Food quality suffers in transit: Redesign packaging. Test by ordering your own delivery and eating it 30 minutes later. Fix what does not work.