Is delivery a new growth opportunity for restaurants or a necessary evil?
We heard operators say they struggle to believe third-party delivery services are helping them reach new customers. At best, these services are a new channel for existing customers. Even then, operators have difficulty extending the high-quality experience of the restaurant to customers dining at home. So what can we do to help?

Insight:
DELIVERY DRIVERS AREN’T INCENTIVIZED TO BE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENTS.
Insight:
DELIVERY DRIVERS AREN’T INCENTIVIZED TO BE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENTS.


“We think about how our boxes fit in the bag and sometimes a driver takes it and throws it in the backseat without a care.”

“I love catering because it’s great financially. We know the order in advance so we don’t overbook ourselves. It’s the only sensible way to make money in the restaurant industry.”
Insight:
OPERATORS PREFER CATERING OVER DELIVERY WHEN IT COMES TO OFF-PREMISE OFFERINGS.
Delivery isn’t a financially sustainable option for most operators—but centralized pick-up spots could be.
Could an off-premise offering that allows restaurants to prepare catered meals help guarantee them a financial profit? What if we helped facilitate and safeguard meal delivery by creating centralized pick-up spots in high-traffic areas? We explored this concept and created a speculative company, Alleyoop. We shelved this for now!
