What is the Average Food Delivery Time?

Several metrics can reflect your operational efficiency and overall success in the restaurant business. While many restaurateurs focus on the amount of sales they get or how much money they're making, performance figures can greatly impact your business. These metrics reflect the customer experience, and improving them can have far-reaching effects on your overall success.

One example is the average food delivery time. In this blog, we'll review the importance of this metric and give you some tips on how to reduce food delivery time.

The Industry Standard

All restaurants are different, and diners have unique expectations based on where they order food. However, speed is a big deal regardless of where they go. The average food delivery time is a metric that reflects how long it takes for a customer to get their food in hand after placing an order.

Of course, many factors will affect that time window, including how far away the customer is. However, the "standard" is around 35 minutes. That 35 minutes includes food preparation, packaging and delivery.

The delivery window can be greater during busy dining periods, but customers expect to receive their orders within that 35-minute timeframe.

How to Reduce Food Delivery Time

For kitchen staff and delivery teams, 35 minutes isn't enough time. But to a hungry customer, it's too long! Many people are willing to pay more to get their food faster, and restaurants that beat the standard get the best reviews and more repeat business.

So, what can you do to speed things up?

Create Distinct Teams

One method is to have separate teams focusing on in-house and delivery/pickup orders. This strategy ensures that you're prioritizing all orders. It helps reduce delays and can prevent order mix-ups.

Use the Right Platform

Order management can make a big difference. Choose a platform that can consolidate and separate orders from multiple sources. The right restaurant management system can help you stay organized, reduce delays and avoid errors.

Standardize Your Process

In addition to having a separate team, standardize how you do things. Time is of the essence, and streamlining everything from food prep to delivery driver handoff can save precious time, getting orders into your customers' hands much faster.

Read a similar article about restaurant analytics dashboard here at this page.