If you are struggling to scale your restaurant business due to its online unavailability, you are not alone.

One of the major reasons for restaurants to not go online is the absence of a food delivery partner. With the growing popularity of online orders and pre-orders, not having a delivery partner can really handicap your restaurant business.

👉Also Read: How To Convert Third-Party Customers To Direct Ordering?

Independent restaurants are skeptical about getting their business online because they don't have the delivery infrastructure or easy access to drivers to deliver online orders.

The good news is that today, there are several third-party food delivery apps that help get your restaurant the ‘limelight’ they deserve. Organizations like Doordash and POstmates ensure that the gap is met with minimal effort and investment. But choosing one can be a tedious task.

So, read through this comparison between the two to find out which suits your needs better!

What is DoorDash?

DoorDash is an online food ordering and delivery platform for restaurants that enables them to take online orders and get them delivered to customers without hiring their own delivery partners. It started back in 2020 and owns nearly 56% share of the food delivery market in the US today.

It operates in more than 5000 cities in the US and offers cuisines from all around the world - Thai, Chinese, Indian, you name it. It also offers liquor delivery for customers meaning your bar can go online too!

How does DoorDash work for restaurants looking for only delivery integration?

DoorDash helps restaurants deliver meals to their customers using its own freelance delivery partners. These drivers or ‘Dashers’ are paid a base salary for completing the orders.

Restaurants can choose to offer their delivery service using different options. As an example, you can take orders directly on your website instead of the app using their ‘Storefront’ service. If you want, you can even handpick your delivery partners for large catering orders using their ‘DoorDash Drive’ service.

If you don’t take large orders or have a website, you can rely exclusively on the app for taking the orders. But that’s not recommended. Why?

👉 Our article Third Party Online Ordering Apps : A Threat Or An Opportunity For Your Restaurant? has some really interesting facts that you should know before completely relying on a tird party app to accept online orders.

Apart from delivery service, DoorDash offers features like a net profit calculator for delivery sales and data analytics for restaurants who opt for it. This enables restaurants to better understand how their business is going and make adjustments to the menu and prices based on that.

How much does DoorDash charge per order for delivery?

DoorDash charges a flat fee of anywhere between $6.99 and $10.99 for on-demand delivery. There is no standard delivery radius for merchants on DoorDash. The delivery radius is set by an algorithm based on how many Dashers are in your area and consumer demand. Plus and Premium members do get access to a larger delivery area than Basic, potentially reaching more customers. Self-Delivery merchants with their own delivery teams can set their own delivery area.

What is PostMates?

Postmates was established in 2011 in San Francisco. The application was created to function as a "remote control for your city," allowing you to have meals and other amenities delivered to your door whenever you wanted.

The concept predated the smartphone, but the business's ability to turn it into an app enabled it to thrive and later be imitated by scores of others.

How does Postmates work for restaurants looking for only delivery integration?

One of the coolest aspects of Postmates is that it isn't simply for food delivery.

The premise behind Postmates was that you can get anything delivered — and it's getting closer to that goal.

Based on where you operate from and where your customers reside, Postmates helps deliver groceries, medicines, electronic gadgets and equipment, and even liquor. The platform can link you with freelance drivers, bike and scooter riders, and delivery walkers.

Restaurants are not required to have their own delivery workers due to the network of delivery individuals using the Postmates platform. However, if you do want to hire your own delivery personnel, the platform is willing to work with them too.

How much does Postmates charge per order for delivery?

Postmates doesn’t provide any details about fees on the official website. You'd be redirected to their sales for details.

But historically speaking, the takeout delivery apps like Postmates usually have high fees.

As a restaurant owner, this is what you can expect if you decide to partner with Postmates.

• No cost for using their web app
• No cost for their delivery as a Service API
• Postmates won’t charge you until your customer receives their delivery
• You can request a custom flat rate fee with Postmates to see if it’s better for you.

Which is better for independent restaurants?

DoorDash definitely wins between the two. For independent restaurants, it is a great way to boost sales and grow their restaurant. In fact, Chipotle and The Cheesecake Factory publicly credited DoorDash for helping them boost revenue even in the face of the pandemic.

Although PostMates started a long time before DoorDash, they couldn’t capture the audience as well as DoorDash. That’s because they are not synonymous with food deliveries. Furthermore, PostMates is quite expensive for both, the customers as well as the restaurant.

While it charges a higher commission for restaurants, it also charges a higher delivery fee from the customers. In fact, during rush hours, while DoorDash only increases the wait time for the order, Postmates raises the delivery fee.

How Restolabs can help?

RestoLabs is a takeout and delivery integrated ordering system that simplifies taking digital orders for restaurants and gives them ‘freedom from commissions.’ It comes with an integrated POS system, 50+ payment gateways, custom brand ordering, coupon builders, and so much more.

It seamlessly integrates with both DoorDash and Postmates, reducing the hassle and cutting short the time required for a restaurant to start accepting orders directly from their customers.

So, if you are someone looking to bring your restaurant business online, RestoLabs can help you do that without compromising on your menu, budget, or reputation.

Book your free demo now with our experts to see how DoorDash and Postmates integrations work with Restolabs - a fully integrated online ordering system for restaurants and food businesses.

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