Optimizing Your Carryout and Delivery Menu

Convenience continues to shape the way guests interact with restaurants, making off-premises dining a key driver of growth. For many operators, even those who didn't initially see delivery and takeout as a natural fit, off-premises business has evolved into a significant revenue stream. A recent U.S. Foods survey found that nearly 6 in 10 Americans prefer ordering delivery or takeout over dining in at a restaurant. Optimizing your off-premises menu is critical to increasing sales, protecting margins, and delivering a great guest experience. Here are some pointers:

Regardless of service style, operators are streamlining menus to prioritize quality over quantity. As food and labor costs continue to rise, it pays to focus on the items guests order most often and that deliver the best margins. That's where menu engineering comes in. By strategically designing your menu and highlighting the right items, you can influence purchasing decisions and improve profitability. Start by reviewing at least three months of off-premises sales data. Look for patterns: Which items are top sellers? Which ones rarely get ordered? And which popular dishes are both profitable and easy for your team to prepare? The answers will help you build a stronger, more effective off-premises menu.

Review online feedback on your carryout and delivery experience. You might find consistent threads of kudos and complaints that tell you something is working well or poorly. If you maintain a database of user email addresses, you can elicit a much larger pool of responses with a simple survey to find out what customers really think about your services. It also provides an opportunity to connect with customers to show them you care about their business and want to serve them better.

"Our quality of product is tantamount, and we want to make absolutely sure that once we trigger to-go and delivery that the product ordered is nothing short of delicious upon arrival or pickup."
- Toby Franklin

Strong sales can be misleading if menu items don't travel well and disappoint customers. When planning a carryout and delivery menu it is only natural to think "this item is our most popular dish for dine-in guests and it is pretty profitable, so we need to offer it for takeout." Yet if the presentation is a mess when it reaches your guests' kitchens it can drag down the value of a signature item. The upshot is you want to find the intersection between popularity, profitability, and travel worthiness -- menu items that can be packaged up, shipped across town, and will still taste and look good. Small wares are an important part of your ambience, budget and guest experience. Likewise, you should carefully consider your carryout and delivery containers, including what they say about your concept, their cost, and their influence on your customers' experience.

For upscale casual restaurants, packaging plays an important role in the overall guest experience. It should reflect the quality and personality of your brand, not feel like an afterthought. Fortunately, creating a more polished presentation doesn't always require custom containers. Simple touches, such as branded labels, stickers, or a handwritten thank-you note from the chef, can elevate the experience and leave a lasting impression. Even something as simple as a team member writing a personal thank-you message on the bag can help leave guests feeling appreciated long after the meal.

One of the most effective quality control practices is to experience your restaurant as a guest. Doing so can reveal details that are easy to overlook in day-to-day operations, from service and presentation to overall hospitality. The same approach applies to your off-premises business. Periodically order every menu item as if you were a customer and evaluate the entire experience, from ordering and packaging to food quality upon arrival. Pay close attention to how well items travel, whether temperatures are maintained, and how the presentation holds up. Seeing your delivery and takeout offerings through your guests' eyes can uncover opportunities to improve both satisfaction and repeat business.

As off-premises dining continues to be a key revenue driver, it's important to ensure your menu delivers both a great guest experience and strong financial performance. Focus on the items that travel well, generate healthy margins, and align with guest preferences to simplify operations while boosting customer satisfaction and loyalty. By taking a thoughtful approach to menu engineering, packaging, and quality control, you can make every takeout and delivery order a positive reflection of your brand. To help you get started, explore the resources below

Related Resources

Menu Engineering Worksheets: Take the guesswork out of menu optimization and use these worksheets to analyze popularity, profitability, and placement of every menu item.

Third-Party Delivery Feasibility Worksheet: Is delivery worth it for your restaurant? This worksheet helps you calculate true delivery profitability by factoring in commissions, packaging, and prep labor to make informed, data-driven decisions.

Alibi Roadhouse Grows Top and Bottom Line with Delivery and Social Media Marketing: Learn how one independent restaurant successfully added delivery service and leveraged social media to build brand awareness, increase sales, and strengthen customer loyalty.

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The RestaurantOwner.com Team