Guide on Restaurant Delivery Software & Online Food Ordering

In the past decade, the restaurant sector has changed significantly. The two main reasons for that are the shift in consumer demand and the latest restaurant technology trends. Thanks to innovations, eateries can make their business more efficient while improving customer service. Online ordering and deliveries have become an integral part of restaurant businesses’ operations. Furthermore, they give food service companies a chance to track customer order history and implement targeted promotions. However, in order to guarantee restaurant success in terms of online food ordering, deliveries, and takeout, eateries need reliable restaurant delivery software. These systems streamline and optimize food delivery operations. In the following paragraphs, we’ll shed some light on restaurant delivery software and the key features of these solutions. If you manage a food service business, check out our guide on restaurant data analytics and our post on restaurant customer acquisition.

Key takeaway: Online ordering has become a crucial part of the food service niche market. Restaurants need reliable solutions related to order management and delivery dispatching in order to benefit from advanced marketing tools and not lose customers.

What Is Restaurant Delivery Software

These are applications or other types of digital platforms that allow food service businesses to manage and streamline food deliveries. There are three main types of restaurant delivery software. In-house solutions are suitable for medium and large restaurants that want to manage their own drivers and deliveries. POS-based solutions are offered by restaurant POS developers like Toast and Square. The easy integration makes them an excellent choice for eateries that already use this POS. Third-party aggregators are integrated systems that collect and consolidate orders from different platforms. They are most suitable for casual dining and fast-food eateries.

Advantages of Restaurant Online Ordering and Delivery Platforms

There are many reasons to embrace and integrate restaurant delivery software and online ordering solutions. Here are just a few of the main pros.

1. Increase in sales and profit boost due to the additional revenue stream.
2. In order to scale and grow, food service businesses need operational efficiency. When it comes to online food ordering and delivery, that can be achieved through a specialized platform.
3. Thanks to online ordering and restaurant delivery software, eateries can promote their brand to new customers.
4. Collecting order history, audience data, and other insights can help business owners understand their customers better.

Features of Restaurant Delivery Software

These solutions offer various tools and functionalities related to the optimization of deliveries, more efficient order management, and better customer communication. Let’s examine some of the main features of restaurant online ordering software.

1. Delivery route planning and dispatching functionalities help eateries optimize deliveries.
2. Easy order management and consolidation of online orders from apps, websites, and third-party solutions are among the most crucial features of restaurant delivery software.
3. Driver tracking through GPS allows customers to see food delivery progress in real-time. Furthermore, restaurant managers can track drivers’ performance and work to optimize it.
4. Restaurant delivery software can be integrated with POS systems, accounting software, and other tools. This makes order processing and inventory management more accurate.
5. Order accuracy, delivery times, and customer satisfaction are just a few of the important key performance indicators (KPIs) that these solutions track. This helps restaurant managers evaluate performance and make data-based decisions on how to improve operations.

Popular Online Ordering and Food Delivery Solutions

If you operate a food service business and want to integrate a food ordering and delivery system, you should research the different options on the market. Some of the solutions mentioned below are suitable for small restaurants while others are better suited for companies with multiple locations.

1. Toast. Although it’s known as one of the popular restaurant POS solutions, Toast also has built-in online ordering and delivery functionalities. The solution is best suited for establishments that already use Toast.
2. Square. The company offers various types of software for service providers, retailers, restaurants, and other businesses. Squire for restaurants is a POS system with delivery and online ordering tools. 
3. GloriaFood. As a subsidiary of Oracle, one of the major software companies in the world, this software is among the most popular solutions for food service businesses. It’s a budget-friendly option suitable for small food service businesses.

Cuboh, Otter, and Deliverect are useful options for food service businesses that are looking for a third-party solution to aggregate and manage online food orders from multiple sources. These tools offer multi-channel order consolidation and centralized order management.

Large restaurant chains and food service businesses with international presence might choose to build their own restaurant delivery software or acquire a startup company that specializes in that field. This gives them full control over functionality and endless customization options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Restaurant Delivery Software

From resources about wholesale ordering software to information on how to deal with restaurant fraud, you’ll find multiple useful articles on BlueCart’s website. Check out our answers to common questions regarding online food ordering and restaurant delivery software.

What Are Food Delivery Services?

The term is commonly associated with the services provided by DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats. These companies offer multiple solutions to businesses in the food service sector that wish to outsource their delivery operations. The three services mentioned above are the primary third-party food delivery services. They offer integration options and operate in various regions of the world. Some food delivery services focus primarily on deliveries while others are third-party food order aggregators. This means they can also increase the revenue of a restaurant by bringing in more orders and new customers who already use these established services.

How Online Ordering Helps Restaurant Marketing?

Nowadays, food delivery and takeaway make up a large percentage of the revenue in the restaurant industry. That’s why, an eatery that doesn’t use online ordering and restaurant delivery software misses out on a lot of potential customers. Although online orders and delivery are less important for fine dining venues, they are an absolute necessity for fast food and casual dining eateries. Thanks to online ordering, restaurants can increase their revenue and improve their brand awareness. Furthermore, third-party apps and food ordering platforms have extensive marketing tools that enable eateries to boost their advertising and marketing efforts.

What Other Software Do Restaurants Use?

Eateries use various types of solutions to manage different business processes. Here are the most important restaurant technologies:

1. POS system to track all sales and manage FOH operations;
2. Kitchen and bar inventory management software like BlueCart to prevent product spoilage, improve ordering to suppliers, and track stock;
3. Restaurant accounting software is another important solution used by eateries to help them with payrolls, calculating revenue, and bookkeeping;
4. Third-party marketing solutions by Meta and Google have various tools to help boost different stages of the marketing funnel;
5. Employee scheduling software is also used by fast-food franchises and other eateries.

BlueCart: A Must-Use Software for Restaurants

Throughout the years, BlueCart has helped many broadline distributors and specialized wholesalers manage orders from businesses. However, our platform also has various tools for companies in the food and beverage industry. That includes features related to food inventory management, calculating the cost of goods sold, and finding vendors. If you manage a food service business, sign up for BlueCart today. If you’re in the wholesale distribution sector, make sure to book a demo in order to see how our platform can boost your wholesale sales and help you automate various tasks.