In today’s competitive restaurant industry, you need to do everything you can to win over customers in South Africa and increase sales. And offering food delivery in your customers’ favourite channels is top of that list.
Today’s customers are tech-savvy and always have their smartphone nearby. They value convenience and want to order food however and whenever they want. And importantly, they have high expectations and want food delivery services at the tap of a few buttons — with zero hassle.
If you’re not offering restaurant delivery services then you simply don’t exist to these customers. As a result, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of potential restaurant sales.
Let’s take a closer look at how delivery services can help you increase restaurant sales.
Greater exposure
Even if you’re happy with the performance of your restaurant, why not dream bigger? Restaurant delivery services allow you to tap into a brand new, much larger customer base.
Not everyone has the luxury of visiting your restaurant every Friday night. For those looking after kids, working night shifts or without transport, it’s trickier than you might think.
Bringing your food directly to their door removes such obstacles. Customers can try out your menu from the comfort of their own home. And if they like you, they’ll keep coming back for more, which will up your brand loyalty and sales!
Make up for lost numbers
Have you ever had a table of 10 booked, only for the customer to call up and cancel at the last minute? No matter how great your food, or how inviting your restaurant, you can’t control external events that prevent customers from showing up. Whether it’s bad weather, travel delays or unexpected emergencies, things happen.
With only a physical restaurant, that 10-person cancellation might be a big setback. But a reliable restaurant delivery service can help you soften that blow a little.
By offering food delivery, by adding your restaurant to the Bolt Food app, for example, you can make up for that lost booking in no time.
And let’s not forget those slower than usual post-weekend nights. With delivery services, you can keep on fulfilling orders even if no one steps a foot inside your restaurant.
Boost your average order value
Your average order value (AOV) is crucial to your success as it tracks the average amount spent each time a customer orders.
One customer spending a little bit more might not seem like much. But now imagine thousands of your customers doing the same thing!
In a study, 25% of customers said they’d spend more on off-premise orders. Offering restaurant delivery services could, therefore, bump up your AOV to new levels. It might be that the money spent on transport to your restaurant is now put towards an order instead. Or maybe a customer’s more willing to eat that dessert in the comfort of their homes.
Whatever the reason, you’ll not only reach more customers with delivery services but also increase your AOV.
Market your restaurant 24/7
When you sign up to a food delivery platform (like Bolt Food), you’ll immediately benefit from having your restaurant marketed to the app’s users.
With Bolt Food, you’ll be able to show up on the app and in search results, while also getting:
- The option to take part in promotional campaigns and special offers which will get more customer eyes to your restaurant and brand.
- The chance to be featured in Bolt Food’s newsletter, social media, ad campaigns and more.
- Ready-made post templates that you can use on your social media channels to reach even more customers!
Fulfil more orders
Perhaps the greatest thing about restaurant delivery services is that they allow you to process more orders.
Imagine 10 groups are booked at your restaurant for a single evening. Each group would need a table plus waiting staff for the entire evening.
Tables don’t just make a single order (as they do on a food delivery app). Their order will be broken up between courses and drinks, plus they may change their mind mid-order. All of this uses up precious resources and time.
Now compare this to 10 orders arriving through the Bolt Food delivery app. No tables, no waiting staff and no delivery, which all means more money saved. All you need to do is prepare the order and let our courier team take care of the rest.
Ready to increase your restaurant sales? Sign up to Bolt Food and reach more customers today!