Meal delivery is an essential service for restaurants, but many establishments don’t have the capacity to hire and manage an in-house delivery team. That’s where third-party food delivery services come in — they provide the technology and drivers so your employees can focus on preparing delicious meals.

With so many options on the market, choosing the right meal delivery service can be tricky. By comparing each company’s offerings and delivery fees, you can select a partner that best aligns with your business.

Food delivery: A brief history

The food delivery sector has grown exponentially in recent years, but the concept has been around for much longer. Vendors, including milkmen and bakers, have been hand-delivering goods to customers since ancient times. Each new era of technology has changed the industry considerably, making it easier for customers to place and track orders.

Today, technology is the core of most food delivery services. Platforms such as Grubhub and Uber Eats handle every step of the process, including displaying restaurants in an online marketplace, accepting orders, processing payments, assigning delivery drivers, and tracking meals. In fact, food delivery apps, online ordering, and high-speed delivery are so convenient that they’re no longer optional — they’re an expectation.

That’s why it’s so important to choose a meal delivery service with the tools and solutions your business needs. A trustworthy and reliable option can protect your reputation and help your restaurant stay competitive in a crowded market.

Grubhub’s unique features: What sets us apart

At Grubhub, we’re proud to offer an industry-leading food delivery service. We understand that you have a wide range of options to choose from, which is why we’re always looking for ways to offer the best meal delivery service on the market.

As you compare food delivery services such as Grubhub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash, it’s important to consider how each company fits into your business. For reference, below are some of the features that our Grubhub restaurant partners enjoy.

Customer experience

Modern customers are tech-savvy; they expect fast, seamless transactions, easy payments, and quick delivery. This is true across the full range of meal delivery services, including Uber Eats, Home Chef, Thrive Market, Daily Harvest, Blue Apron, and Daily Harvest.

Grubhub prioritizes an exceptional customer experience. We offer an easy-to-use platform with intuitive navigation and personalized recommendations based on each person’s individual order history. Customers looking for a specific type of food can narrow selections quickly using the search function or built-in filters. Checking out is fast and easy, and our professional delivery drivers offer reliable service.

Restaurant partnerships

Grubhub partners with a diverse range of restaurants, including local eateries and national chains. In fact, there are tens of millions of businesses on the Grubhub Marketplace. The broad selection of options ensures every customer can find a cuisine or dish that suits their tastes. And since we’re always adding more restaurants, many of our customers return frequently to discover new establishments.

Our extensive resources are one of the reasons customers choose Grubhub over Uber Eats. Support is a big part of how we serve restaurants; as a partner, you have unlimited access to free marketing tips, social media templates, our free profit calculator, and other tools. You’ll also get a dedicated account advisor to support you every step of the way.

Pricing and fees

Grubhub provides transparent pricing with no hidden delivery fees. As a restaurant partner, you’ll be aware of the pricing structure up front; customers can also see the delivery fee, service fee, and other applicable charges, so there are no surprises. We also offer multiple options for users to customize their order, including the choice of takeout or delivery. For frequent diners, subscription plans like Grubhub+ offer perks such as free delivery and exclusive discounts.

Convenience and technology

At Grubhub, we believe convenience is the driving factor behind a successful meal delivery service. That’s why we leverage the latest technology to create the fastest and easiest meal delivery experience for our customers.

On the restaurant side, the Grubhub platform allows effortless menu management with popular tech integrations. Need to remove a specific dish? Revise a menu description? With just a few clicks, you can change any element of your menu. You can even build a free branded online ordering website with Grubhub Direct.

For customers, the Grubhub food delivery app is a breeze to use. Customers can customize menu items, request substitutions, and save their favorite payment methods and addresses to reduce transaction time.

Promotions and rewards

Customers love a deal — in fact, a discount can be a great way to convince users to try your restaurant for the first time. When you sign up with Grubhub, you can use our promotions tools to create daily specials, exclusive deals, and personalized offers. You could offer a percentage off, for example, or give free delivery for a limited time. The Grubhub platform makes it easy to set up promotions. Our data shows that when restaurants run a new-customer promotion, they get an average of 27% more orders.

Grubhub also offers its own promotions to encourage customers to try restaurants like yours; our goal is to engage users and incentivize them to order through our platform. We feature our restaurant partners in marketing campaigns to drive even more traffic. After all, when you succeed, we succeed.

Merchants can tap into our free social media templates to advertise their deals and promotions. Follow these steps to customize our templates on Canva and reach customers when they’re scrolling for their next meal.

Safety and reliability

Safety is a top priority at Grubhub. We offer a variety of options to ensure the safety of your restaurant, our delivery drivers, and customers. For example, diners can choose curbside pickup or contact-free delivery. We also offer resources to help our restaurant partners maintain the highest standards of hygiene and safety when preparing and packaging food.

We understand that the speed and reliability of our food delivery service affect your restaurant’s reputation. Our trained professional drivers use insulated delivery bags to keep food at the correct temperature, and our platform helps them select the most efficient route to ensure on-time delivery. If circumstances outside restaurant partners’ control lead to delivery delays, or if the customer finds a lower price on another third-party service such as Uber Eats, the Grubhub Guarantee compensates them with a perk that can be redeemed on the platform.

Reach Amazon customers

Grubhub merchants are uniquely positioned to reach more customers with Amazon. Amazon customers in the U.S. can discover and order from Grubhub merchants on Amazon.com and in the Amazon Shopping app. Plus, Prime members can activate a free Grubhub+ membership that includes savings like $0 delivery fees on eligible orders. Grubhub merchants can have access to Amazon’s millions of customers — expanding the audience they’re able to reach as a Grubhub partner and reaching more loyal and frequent customers.

Choose the best solution for your restaurant

Food delivery services are critical for modern restaurants, and as a restaurant owner, it’s important to choose the best option. The right food delivery app can level up your business, exposing it to a larger audience and increasing order volume. At Grubhub, we offer a wide range of features that support your restaurant and create a better meal delivery experience for customers. By elevating your existing operations and extending your service capacity, we set your business up for success. To find out more, get started with Grubhub today.