I remember about a bazillion years ago, as a starving college student, we'd go to the best pizza place in Uptown Minneapolis dang near every week. There were stickers on the door for the equally young and hungry local food delivery companies. I was always curious about them but delivery was for rich folks out near "the lakes" a couple of miles away.

Today those same signs strike a little fear in my heart. I know that sounds silly, but bear with me.

Don't get me wrong. Opening my [insert favorite third party delivery provider] app is like opening the fridge of possibility. What cool thing is available today? What's interesting and new? I love those apps when I'm tired and hungry. Not as much when I'm at a restaurant.

So. The stickers on the door... I think you should take them down for two reasons:

1.) Unless you've signed an exclusivity agreement, people will find you on the apps. You don't really need the sticker on the door. PEOPLE WILL FIND YOU.

2.) If you have delivery (or Dispatch) on your own website, those stickers are robbing you of direct sales. Direct delivery sales may not be a huge part of your business. Unless you're a pizza place, direct delivery sales probably aren't doing as well as pick-up. Or 3rd party delivery. Are you doing everything you can to maximize direct delivery?

Direct delivery, in a lot of cases is less expensive. Even if those same drivers are delivering them. You may need to add perimeters to make sure they're profitable, but you can do that. Also, you have the customer data. You don't get that with 3rd parties.

What you can do:

1.) Remove those stickers from your door and have your graphic designer, marketing team, or Canva guru create a simple "We Deliver!" sign for your door and maybe some other assets in your restaurant. If you don't tell customers they won't know. You've got Franchisees? Offer them these assets as well.

I’ve created a brand agnostic window cling template that you can use on Canva here. You can update instructions and your URL. It’s meant to be used with a white background, but you can download with no background to use on a clear cling. You can print the window clings from VistaPrint, here.

2.) Do a quarterly restaurant signage evaluation. I remember a Marketing Manager frustrated at the fact that Lent banners were still up in a restaurant in October. Send an email every quarter letting them know what signage SHOULD be up and what SHOULD NOT be up including a reminder that 3rd Party Delivery signage is not okay.

Also, send a reminder email on the day it's time to take banners down. You have a calendar but no one in your restaurants will have time to remember. Also, you can schedule the email so you don’t forget.

3.) Incentivize! Create a promo for your dine-in or to go guests. Maybe $5 or 10% off or FREE delivery on their next direct delivery order. Add leaflets to your check presenters, put a code in the guest check trailer or use as bag stuffers for your to go orders. (*maybe not 3rd party orders depending on your contract)

Your restaurant teams are competitive. Incentivize them on increasing direct delivery with something… The losing store has to wash the winning team’s cars.... their GM dyes their hair purple...or something more on brand.

At any rate, consider promoting yourself rather than companies that are already spending millions of dollars promoting themselves. While I'm sure they're DELIGHTED for the free marketing, it'd be better spent on you.