A survey of 501 people in the U.S. found that 63% of Americans ate at a restaurant at least once in July, with 22% dining in a restaurant five or more times. At the same time, 58% of Americans said they would feel uncomfortable or very uncomfortable eating in a restaurant because of the coronavirus. The study was conducted by B2B research firm The Manifest.
The contradiction between people’s discomfort about in-restaurant dining and their actions is likely a result of access to outside dining options during the summer months.
With as many as 75% of restaurants at risk of going out of business, local restaurants and small business restaurant owners must prepare for the cooler fall and winter months, which may make outdoor dining less practical and appealing.
Investing in take-out and in-house delivery options is one opportunity for restaurants to stay afloat.
Majority of Americans Order Food Directly From Restaurants Instead of Using Delivery Apps
In the past month, nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) ordered food delivery from a restaurant instead of using a food delivery app like DoorDash (12%), Grubhub (11%), or Uber Eats (6%).
While food delivery apps like DoorDash and Grubhub own nearly 40% of the market, people seeking to support local restaurants prefer going straight to the source to order their food.
The coronavirus pandemic encouraged restaurants to increasingly functioning like retailers by investing in their own delivery services, using QR codes, and fine-tuning takeout and curbside pickup options.
The Manifest’s data shows that these investments could pay off, especially since popular delivery apps like DoorDash charge restaurants a fee of between 15% and 30% on every order.
DoorDash Is Most Popular Food Delivery App
DoorDash is the most popular food delivery app with 12% of people using it in July 2020. Grubhub (11%), Uber Eats (6%), and Postmates (5%) followed.
Ordering directly from restaurants remains the most popular option, though. Forty-three percent (43%) of people in the U.S. said they ordered food for delivery directly from a restaurant in July.
