Online food delivery isn’t a new concept, but it’s one that’s reached a surprising level of popularity in a short amount of time. Delivery is everywhere, and with convenient platforms such as Grubhub, your customers can have everything from groceries to restaurant meals dropped off at home. The latest online food trends can have a big impact on your restaurant business, so it’s critical to stay current.

Delivery vs. takeout: What’s preferred?

The demand for delivery and takeout is as strong as ever — in fact, in a US Foods survey, 57% of respondents reported they prefer ordering delivery or takeout to dining in. Just 43% of respondents said they’d prefer to dine out at a restaurant. The survey also found that when customers choose to go to a restaurant, it’s often because they don’t want to cook or because it’s simply a more convenient option. These numbers indicate that Americans are increasingly interested in a dining experience they can tailor to their unique needs on any given day. 

When it comes to the choice between takeout and delivery, takeout wins. A PYMNTS survey found 58% of respondents preferred to pick up their food rather than have it delivered to their homes. Why? They want to save money on the fees that come with food delivery.

What does that mean for you? If your restaurant is following food delivery trends and looking to boost delivery orders, you may need to get creative. Satisfy cost-conscious customers by offering occasional delivery discounts or encouraging customers to sign up for services such as Grubhub+, which reduces delivery fees to $0.

Alternatively, lean into this trend and offer a pickup option through Grubhub. The order process is the same, but it’ll be the customer picking up the order instead of a delivery driver. It’s an easy way to satisfy both takeout and food delivery customers.

7 online food trends

If the past few years have taught the restaurant industry anything, it’s that change is inevitable. Keeping up with the latest food trends helps you make timely business decisions for your restaurant. Here’s what to look out for in 2024.

1. Convenience delivery

Food delivery isn’t the only thing customers want in 2024 — convenience delivery is on the rise. Customers love the ability to order milk, snacks, and other items from grocery stores and convenience stores. That way, they don’t need to run out for ingredients when they’re making dinner or relaxing at home.

If you run a store, now is a great time to expand your service offerings. With Grubhub, it’s easy to offer same-day delivery without hiring and scheduling delivery drivers.

2. Social media marketing

Social media continues to be an important element in the online food delivery market. Restaurants are using their Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram profiles to reach new audience segments, promote new menu items, and advertise specials. Facebook is particularly useful, as 68% of American adults use the platform.

Chances are, your current and potential customers are actively using social media to find and evaluate restaurants. A 2023 PYMNTS report found that 36.7% of people use establishments’ social media pages; a further 38.5% follow creators or influencers who post restaurant reviews. Gen Z consumers, in particular, are likely to use social media to help them choose a place to eat. Unlike their parents and grandparents, however, 69% of this generation prefers to use TikTok to make food discoveries.

Have your restaurant’s social media profiles been put on the back burner? Establishing a regular posting schedule and experimenting with different content types could help you bring in more business.

Drive more delivery and takeout orders on Grubhub by tapping into our free social media assets. Pick from our pre-made designs or customize our Canva templates to showcase your business’s delicious cuisine. Download our guide to Marketing Your Grubhub Partnership to get all the tools you need to digitally advertise your offerings.

3. QR code ordering

QR code ordering is an online food trend with serious staying power. It’s a simple system: Customers scan a QR code with their smartphones to open an online ordering interface. Then they can select meals and pay for their food online.

The benefits of QR code ordering are significant:

• Reduced labor requirements. A QR code ordering system reduces demands on your servers, enabling you to get by with a smaller workforce. When servers don’t have to spend time taking orders and processing payments, they can run food to a larger number of tables.
• Convenient service. Since customers pay for their meals when they order, they never have to wait for the bill to arrive — they can simply leave. If your customers are often in a hurry, this is an attractive perk.
• Increased order accuracy. When customers place their own orders, they can customize each item to their specific tastes. As long as your food ordering system is clear and easy to understand, it should enhance overall order accuracy.

Want to boost delivery? Add a QR code to your advertising materials and link it to your food delivery service or online ordering website. That way, customers can access the menu in seconds to order takeout or delivery.

QR codes don’t work for every restaurant. For example, they might feel out of place at a fine-dining restaurant. If you have an older customer base, you may experience resistance — like many technology trends, QR codes tend to appeal to younger, efficiency-minded diners.

4. No-contact delivery

No-contact delivery is no longer a health-oriented option; it’s an ever-growing trend. Customers have come to expect flexibility, and by enabling them to request that their food be dropped off at the door, the front desk, or another area, you create a customizable experience.

Why is contactless delivery so popular? It depends on the person. Some people select this option when they’re not feeling well, and others do so when they need extra time. When you’re delivering food to a high-rise apartment building, for example, customers often prefer to pick up the order from the reception desk at their convenience rather than race down to meet the driver.

5. Artificial intelligence (AI)

It seems that artificial intelligence is everywhere, and for good reason — this technology has the potential to revolutionize industries, seemingly overnight. In the restaurant industry, AI tools can help you build a smoother, more profitable operation.

Your restaurant can use AI to:

• Increase upsells. AI has the power to analyze a customer’s order history in seconds and, based on that information, recommend dishes they’re likely to enjoy. If your online food delivery service uses AI, it can help you improve the upselling process and bring in more revenue.
• Provide customer service. AI-enabled phone and chat systems can answer customers’ most common questions, take reservations, and direct callers to a human agent if necessary. This process keeps guests happy and reduces your service workload.
• Analyze operations. The latest data analytics programs use AI to analyze massive volumes of restaurant data. Then, they provide insights to help you streamline staffing, food ordering, inventory management, finances, marketing, and other tasks.

Even with all the buzz surrounding it, AI is more than a passing trend. Restaurant owners who invest time into understanding and implementing the technology now will be in a good position to embrace further developments down the road.

6. Alcohol delivery

The rising popularity of online food ordering has led to another recent development: alcohol delivery. Many state governments legalized to-go and delivery cocktails during the pandemic to support struggling restaurants, and some have made those changes permanent.

If your state and city allow it, alcohol delivery can be an easy way to increase revenue and profits. At Grubhub, our data shows that when a restaurant partner adds alcohol to its delivery menu, its average order value jumps by approximately $15. This boost benefits your bottom line without a significant workload increase.

7. Food photography

When customers are browsing social media profiles and online food delivery apps such as Grubhub, beautiful food photos can be the tipping point for their purchase decisions. In fact, research shows that photography influences restaurant selections for 60% of diners in the United States.

If you’ve noticed that food photography seems to be getting better, you’re not mistaken — ever-improving smartphone cameras have enabled regular people to take better photos. To help their businesses stand out from the crowd, many owners are investing in professional photography. Although the process requires an initial outlay of cash, it can help your restaurant bring in more food delivery and takeout orders over time. You can also use the images to jump on other online food trends and elevate your website, marketing materials, and social media profiles.

Improve your restaurant’s food delivery

As we move into the second half of 2024, online food trends are gaining steam. If you’re looking to build a more robust online ordering system and food-delivery operation, Grubhub can help. We offer an industry-leading platform, an extensive library of helpful resources, and tools that support your growth and marketing goals.Ready to improve your restaurant’s food delivery? Sign up for Grubhub for Restaurants to receive more insights and resources.