3 Real Tried-and-tested Tips That Improve the Delivery Experience for Food Businesses

I deliver, therefore I am. This is undoubtedly the mantra that food businesses have been living by ever since the pandemic flipped the foodservice world on its head. Since then, major cities have become the habitat of a new urban tribe made up of millions of heroes without capes, who, with their bicycles, motorbikes and cars, weave their way through the streets and avenues carrying warm meals to be delivered to hungry customers. These hungry customers have, in turn, given rise to a new species: the homo deliverus.

It's no big secret that the pandemic triggered a boom in food delivery in Mexico. This market closed 2020 with a landmark revenue of USD 405 million. Meanwhile, Statista projects that it will grow to USD 681 million by the close of 2021. One clear example of this boom is the food app DiDi Food—one of the biggest platforms despite only being present in the country for two years—which featured around 50,000 food businesses as of November. Small businesses represented 85% of these, and 40% had recently added the option of delivery to their operation.

In this upward trajectory, and with the ever-changing preferences of their customers, there will always be scope for food businesses to improve their delivery experience. Guaranteeing customers a memorable service has become the holy grail of companies in the context of the so-called "experience economy." That's why (especially if you are new or are considering joining this sector), we are bringing you these three tips on how to improve your food delivery experience as we step into the new year.

1. Choose the right packaging

If your restaurant, dark kitchen or business is focused on top-quality, premium or gourmet food, choose packaging that shows off the food and gives your team room to play around with packaging techniques — this will add a "wow" factor when your customers open their order. One example of this is Nami Nori, a sushi restaurant and bar specializing in temaki. After seeing a boom in the demand for delivery, Nami Nori needed to find a way to avoid its open-style sushi rolls getting damaged. So, they came up with packaging that combines the typical paper to-go containers with plastic sheets to cover the rolls. As you can see, it's appealing to look at and it meets their quality standards.

2. Make it an experience

We've already touched on how important the experience is. Just because your customers are far away, it doesn't mean that you can't offer hospitality, innovation and creativity when they place an order. Consider how you want users to experience each step of the delivery process, and find ways to impress them without losing focus on punctuality and food quality. Get inspired by the case of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, which offers a to-go menu accompanied by videos in which the chefs, sommeliers and mixologists explain how they have prepared the food and drinks.

3. Different menu options — why not?

Exploring new trends, culinary curiosities and new products is a never-ending process for food businesses as it is one of the ways they can innovate. This is the case of Rockstar Burger, a restaurant that has been transforming the culinary culture of León and Mexico's entire Bajío region since 2010. True to its original concept of offering a rock-inspired menu that is "insane" and "infernally delicious," with a helping hand from Simplot, Rockstar Burger has enhanced its delivery menu by adding onion rings and fries with a seasoning made from barley malt. The seasoning gives them an intense amber color and light notes of caramel and molasses, along with a unique crunch.

With this boom in food delivery, businesses need to have more than an eye for detail in the way they prepare their food. They need a sharp eye in the entire delivery experience, in what's on their menus and in new ways of winning the hearts of their audience. When it comes to delivery, the food is just the beginning. To find out more about these and other stories, follow us at Simplot México.