Battling Food Quality During the Delivery Journey
Ian Vernon
March 28, 2023
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In an environment where most quick service restaurants must offer delivery to survive, food quality is a gigantic concern for any operator. Now, more than ever, customers are discovering your brand for the first time while remaining at home. It goes without saying that the presentation and food quality are the main measures by which a customer will decide to order again or not. 

Ventilation in particular is a problem. If you have too much ventilation in your packaging the food will get cold. If you don’t have enough ventilation the texture of the food product will be compromised and become soggy. This issue rose to utter importance during the pandemic. French fries are one the most popular items ordered and increased 131% in 2021 according to DoorDash*. No one likes soggy fries!

No matter fine dining or Quick Service, customers are more demanding today of food quality and convenience than ever before. This came about in a new era of having everything at your fingertips and the ever multiplying channels to place an online order. If your food isn’t packaged correctly and delivered quickly a customer is bound to return it.  Before food traveled from the kitchen to the diners table. But today the majority is traveling longer distances and can be sitting for 30 minutes or more. If your food is not hot, fresh, and tasty there is no acceptable excuse, just customer dissatisfaction. In a post-pandemic environment of ultra-competition no business can afford to miss out on repeat business. 

The best way to maintain food quality during arduous delivery journeys is to treat your team with the same respect that you want. Start with the people who make the food. Making the food properly and delicious before it leaves the establishment is the first step. After that is accomplished, focus on proper packaging, using insulated delivery bags, and forming good relationships with your delivery team. Every restaurant boils down to people serving people.