COVER STORY
DELIVERY IS CHEAPER, BUT IT’S ALSO SLOWER In our second-annual look at restaurant delivery, third-party delivery fees to consumers have come down. But overall delivery times have increased.
G etting a restaurant meal delivered to your home is cheaper than it was a year ago, at least when it comes to the fees. But it’s also slower. That’s the biggest takeaway from a Restaurant Business/Nation’s Restaurant News exclusive study on the performance of delivery services, in conjunction with the mystery shopping firm Intouch Insight. Among the findings from the study: • Delivery services are getting better at estimating delivery times, but overall delivery times dropped; • Food orders from restaurants are less likely this year to be the right temperature; • Delivery fees charged to consumers dropped, but the menu prices are higher than they are in the restaurant; • Uber Eats had the highest overall satisfaction among third-party providers, but DoorDash scored highest in several key areas; • Convenience stores, a growing competitor for many fast-food chains, are closing the gap with restaurants when it comes to delivery on a number of different measures; • Delivery companies are offering fewer promotions, even as their fees have decreased, despite a value push by restaurants.
JONATHAN MAZE
JONATHAN.MAZE@INFORMA.COM
20
RESTAURANT BUSINESS OCTOBER 2025
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