OPE. Sorry for the click-bait title. You probably came here thinking I could articulate a sufficient argument to say that one 3rd party delivery app is better than all the rest. I sort of made it seem that way. For that, I’m sorry.

The ask is real though. I’ve had many conversations over the last few weeks about which app is best. If I was only going to partner with one, which one should it be?

My answer will always be “All of them.”

Why?

Each app is its own “Refrigerator of Opportunity”. As a user of the app, you open it up to see what’s for dinner. Exactly like a refrigerator. Except for the grocery shopping part, so it’s even better! If there’s no Thai place in your refrigerator, then there’s no Thai food. Period. People are more loyal to these apps than they are to your restaurant app. If someone uses your app, they’re a super-fan. They plan on eating your food regularly. That doesn’t denote exclusivity, just affinity. I love BBQ, but I’m not eating Famous Dave’s every week. When I need my fix, I have that app.

The simple truth is that each app has a different user-base. Chances are that, while they have more than one app, people will gravitate to their favorite.

There are a couple of caveats that I have to this. They’re not universal, but they’re important questions to ask yourself.

1. Are any of them a pain in your ass?

   1. If you’re repeatedly not getting help or repeatedly reporting drivers or orders are being cancelled by drivers all the time, stop doing business with them. The amount of labor you’re spending on trying to make the customer happy in these situations might mean you’re actually losing money.

2. Are you losing money?

   1. Don’t be on an app if it’s costing you money. If you’re losing money each time an order goes out the door, do something about it. Look at raising prices on the app, instituting a delivery minimum, or just putting high ticket/high margin/easy to execute food on the app.

3. Do any refuse to integrate?

   1. Way back when Grubhub wasn’t on Olo Rails (remember those dark times?) I was on an industry call about Grubhub and their market share. The response was overwhelming. Until Grubhub was on Rails, restaurants weren’t even considering them. It wasn’t worth the extra work . Do you have any partners like this? If they won’t play with your system, the juice might not be worth the squeeze.

Every 3rd party delivery company has their pros and cons. Weigh the above carefully. They’re still trying to strike a balance between affordable and profitable. I think we’ll all feel the discomfort until they settle in, so some of the things above are subject to change.

Also, do whatever’s best for your restaurants. Your situation is unique. If you’re making enough money without 3rd parties, good on you. (Please let everyone else know what your secret is, but good on you!) If you can’t handle the tablets dinging FOREVER, there are so many great companies you can integrate with. Feel free to reach out; we can help you find the right one for you.

So, if all other things are equal, make sure you’re in everyone’s refrigerator. When it’s dinner time, you want to be front and center.