Global online food delivery revenue is rising and is expected to hit a whopping US$182,327m by 2024. This isn’t necessarily surprising given the corresponding increase in smartphone users globally.

But as a restaurant owner, have you ever thought about how this affects your restaurant? Have you explored the benefits of offering online food delivery?

Customers of today live online. It’s where they talk with friends, check the news, get health advice and, crucially, order food. As such, many customers will only order from a restaurant that delivers or where they can order food online. A Technomics study found that 59% of millennials’ orders were either delivery or takeaway.

The benefits of offering online food delivery

Offering online food delivery is something your customers want. But there’s a whole host of other benefits that come from food delivery services and they can help increase your profits, starting today!

1. Expand your restaurant’s capacity

No, don’t worry — we’re not talking about buying up more land or digging out your hammer and nails.

With a food delivery platform, you can increase the size of your business, virtually.

Let’s assume you have 30 tables in your restaurant. No matter how popular you are, you can only fit 30 tables’ worth of customers. Yes, some tables might free up later in the evening, but it’s not always easy to refill them later. And if customers like you, they won’t want to leave.

That might sound good, but it also means you can’t get new customers in to experience your restaurant. In this case, your supply is directly affecting your profit levels. And that’s where online food delivery comes in. All 30 tables can be full and you can continue fulfilling orders to many more customers at home!

2. Automate to accumulate

A huge benefit of a food delivery app (like Bolt Food) is automation. The technology does the hard work so you can sit back and get on with more important things.

With everything automated through the app, you don’t need to worry about taking phone calls and double checking orders. You’re free to spend more time looking after customers in your restaurant.

Restaurant employees also benefit from these increased efficiencies, as they’ll know what to do and by when. It’s a win-win.

3. Reach millennials and gen Zs

Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Gen Z (born 1997-2012) are true digital natives. As the children of the 21st century, these groups have grown up with smartphones in their back pockets and navigate the world through digital experiences. This matters because they represent a huge chunk of the global population — and your customer base.

Millennials account for roughly a quarter of the global population and Gen Z is catching up quickly. Add in the fact that these age groups use food delivery services the most, and you can see how important they are to your success.

Signing up to a food delivery service like Bolt Food puts you in front of this purchase-ready audience who are desperately waiting to order food online in South Africa.

4. Reduce human error

Mistakes happen. They’re a part of life. But one way to cut down on errors is via a food delivery app’s automated processes (as mentioned above).

Whether you’re taking an order on the phone or at the table, staff may forget something or mishear a customer against the background of restaurant noise.

With a Bolt Food order, though, you remove any chance of confusion or misunderstanding when customers order food online. The Bolt app shows you exactly what the customer has ordered there on the screen — without any room for errors.

5. Beat your competition

As more restaurants reap the benefits of online delivery, you can’t risk missing out. If your competitors are online, they have a larger reach and have the chance to poach your customers!

Why let them get away with it?

Add your restaurant to the Bolt Food app and be what your customers want — a restaurant that delivers.

Remember that there’s zero risk involved. You won’t be hit with any unexpected joining or termination fees when signing up with Bolt Food. The only risk is not signing up and missing out on new sales, attracting new customers and boosting your profits!

Sign up as a Bolt Food partner and grow your sales in South Africa today!