Here’s the thing about Uber Eats and other food delivery services. Many business owners put these customers in a corner considering them to be an add-on to their business, but this does not need to be the case. Consider the food delivery apps an avenue for acquiring new clients. Don’t think of these apps as a sub-branch of your business. They’re a means of finding new business.
Food delivery services have experienced extraordinary growth since the introduction of applications like Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Menulog. Australians, young and old, embrace the convenience of home-delivered packages that were purchased online. This includes food.
“Nearly 4 million Australians aged 14+ (19.1%) use meal delivery services,” as reported in February 2020. “Up from 1.98 million (9.8%) in 2018.” Roy Morgan, 2020.
The advent of COVID-19, home isolation, and the preference to stay in and watch Netflix saw Uber Eats grow exponentially in 2020. In 2019, Uber Eats had 21 million users globally. This tripled in 2020 growing to 66 million users due to the global pandemic.
(Source: Business of Apps)
The food delivery apps particularly Uber Eats, are feeding millions of hungry browsers every week. Your restaurant or café could benefit by participating so you up for consideration to those hungry millions. We help you put together an action plan to get started in this article.
What are online ordering apps and how do they work for restaurants and cafes?
Online food delivery services are websites or smartphone applications customers use to order menu items from food outlets for pick-up or delivery by freelance couriers. To access these services, customers create a personal account for automatic payment and registration of their delivery address.
Tips for maximising food delivery apps like Uber Eats
- Stand out with stunning photos
- Create a menu that is easy to order from
- Use Uber Eats as a way of increasing your customer base
- Advertise to Uber Eats customers to purchase from you directly
- Keep an eye on the competition
- Prepare ahead for anticipated busy periods
- Ensure your food is perfectly packaged for delivery
We discuss these tips in more detail below.
Stand out with stunning photos
The first and most important step when setting up your Uber Eats account is ensuring you have the most amazing photos of your menu items. Keep in mind that potential customers are scrolling through the images you and your competitors have on the app. Your menu items need to stand out and look delicious.
Go the extra mile with amazing photos of amazing crockery
Pick eye-catching and unusual plates to showcase your menu items. The Graze range of porcelain plates, bowls and trays by Essentials Collection is perfect for food photography. Each colour complements the other, making them perfect for mixing and matching when photographing your food.
Photograph your menu items beautifully
Don’t photograph them in plastic containers as they’ll look when they’re delivered. Photograph them beautifully served, as you would expect in a high-quality catalogue.
The Basics range by Essentials Collection has everything you need to complete a photo session while keeping the focus on the amazing food. This range contains every possible plate, bowl, dish, cup, jug, tray, or platter you could need. Keep consistency across all your online ordering apps and let your food take centre stage with this range.
Create a Menu that is easy to read and order from
When your business kicks off with Uber Eats, you’ll set up a menu in the application that is separate from your website. Your Uber Eats menu must be clear and concise with short titles and very clear descriptions of each item. Keep it to the point and include all ingredients so customers can identify any they may be allergic to.
Include benefits for each menu item like – vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, low carb, or dairy-free.
Your website must be up-to-scratch
The work doesn’t stop there, however. Your website needs to be up to scratch as well. You must anticipate your Uber Eats customers will visit your website in the future, so it needs to be ready. Online ordering apps do not replace a business website, they complement them.
DO use clear names and descriptions for your menu items, much like you have with your Uber Eats listings.
DO NOT upload a pdf of your printed menu and expect your customers to strain their eyes trying to read it.
DO include the amazing photos you’ve taken for your Uber Eats customers.
DO NOT use blurry or poor-quality images. You also need to make sure the images aren’t too large, impacting the loading time of your website.
Use online ordering apps, like Uber Eats, as a way of increasing your customer base
We mentioned above that you must anticipate your Uber Eats customers will visit your website in the future. This is a very real possibility. An Uber Eats customer isn’t necessarily an Uber Eats customer forever. Once they develop loyalty to your brand, they will visit your website to order directly. They may also visit your establishment in person for a dine-in experience. So, be ready!
This is also the goal you should have in mind when procuring customers from online ordering apps as it removes the need to pay fees, which directly reduces your profitability. We also recommend including a flyer promoting specials within your Uber Eats delivery bags - this will help motivate your customer to come directly to your business, instead of through online ordering apps.
We cannot stress enough, don’t consider Uber Eats customers to be delivery app customers for life. You can prompt their transition from being an Uber Eats customer to becoming a regular customer (eliminating the commission paid to the app), with some clever tactics.
The Burger Box Conversion Technique
In this example, a local fish and chips shop lists their burgers with Uber Eats for lunchtime customers. The cafe purchases its Burger Clam boxes from Reward Hospitality. The boxes are clearly labelled with the café’s logo and location on the box. On the inside of the lid is a unique message,
“Thank you for selecting this burger for your Uber Eats lunch. To show our appreciation, we’d like to invite you to pick up your dinner any night this week for a 20% discount. Available for pick-up only. Call ahead and we’ll have your order ready for you to pick up on your way home. Show your Uber Eats receipt to redeem this offer (date match only).”
Keep an eye on the competition
Keep an eye on your competition on the Uber Eats app and monitor for any new or innovative techniques they may be adopting. Chinese restaurants don’t just compete with Chinese restaurants when it comes to home delivery apps. You’re competing with every food option available within driving distance at the time you’re advertising as open for deliveries.
Prepare ahead for anticipated busy periods
Due to the demand for food delivery apps, there is a potential to increase your sales exponentially if you get your systems, advertising, quality control, and customer satisfaction right. Many restaurants and cafes have developed a lucrative income stream from apps like Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Menulog.
Docket holders
Keep up with the continuous stream of dockets with the docket holders available in assorted sizes and made from either PVC or Stainless Steel.
Control the quality of your prep
As you get busier, keeping track of the prep ingredients will become more vital. These prep labels will take all the guesswork out of quality control. Your delivery app customers are more likely to leave you a bad online review if you get things wrong – so you should nail your processes around food quality control from the start.
Smart storage that saves space
The increase in business means an increase in ingredient quantities. The right storage and shelving will keep your kitchen functional and operating smoothly. These ingredient bins take up little storage real estate and the addition of wheels makes them easy to manoeuvre. The plastic lids also make it easy to monitor the ingredient levels.
Ensure your food is perfectly packaged for delivery
Are you using the optimal packaging for your menu items? Are they branded with your logo and suitable for ensuring your food is delivered to the customer in the same state it leaves your kitchen in? Are you using one supplier for all your packaging, like Reward Hospitality, a one-stop shop for all your food packaging needs?
Purchasing items from a single supplier across the many different needs of your business (like chemicals, packaging, crockery, and janitorial) may give you access to greater discounts and pricing.
7 Packaging Ideas for Uber Eats Businesses
Bowls – From large plastic catering bowls for family-sized serves to cardboard folding bowls suitable for individual meal servings.
Boxes – There’s a takeaway box available in every shape and size you can imagine. There are cardboard lunch boxes with clear windows, carry boxes with handles and so much more. Have a look through the range to be inspired by menu options.
Clams – This form of disposable packaging is ideal for home-delivery food apps. From individual pizza slices to burgers or hotdogs, there’s an option for every meal type in this catalogue.
Containers – The list is endless when it comes to the uses for containers in Uber Eats deliveries. There are rectangular containers suitable for stir-fries and curries. The range also includes eco-friendly packaging, made from sugarcane pulp, for those who pride themselves on their sustainability efforts.
Pails – These boxes are most commonly known for their use by noodle outlets and Chinese restaurants. These cost-effective boxes are available with handles, without handles, in various sizes, and in your choice of kraft or white.
Pizza Boxes – This product is self-explanatory. We have pizza boxes available from 9” to 15” for family-size pizzas. Consider branding your pizza box with our custom printing service. Tailor your pizza box to showcase your brand so your business is memorable.
Takeaway bags – We have a bag for every occasion. There are chicken bags to keep them warmer longer, paper bottle bags, and carry bags suitable for packing orders into one bag for convenience.
Reward Hospitality is your One-Stop Shop for Takeaway Product Solutions
Are you searching for innovative solutions to enhance your takeaway products or seeking guidance on how to effectively leverage online ordering apps for your business? Look no further than Reward Hospitality! Our extensive range of packaging products is designed to cater to your unique needs and elevate your brand's customer experience. Additionally, our team of experts is always available to provide insightful advice and support in optimizing your online ordering strategy. Shop our packaging range online or contact us today to take your business to new heights.