Best Food Delivery Services For Restaurants: Which One Should You Choose?
- Operations qckbot
- 7 days ago
- 8 min read
Key Takeaways:
Control Matters More Than Reach: A bigger audience doesn’t help if the platform owns the customer relationship. The right delivery service gives you reach without giving up control.
Direct Ordering Builds Loyalty: Customers who order through your own channels are more likely to return. It keeps the connection personal and the experience consistent.
Delivery Shouldn’t Be A Burden: Managing orders and logistics shouldn’t pull staff away from running the kitchen. A good delivery partner handles the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to.
The cost of convenience is hard to place when it comes to food delivery.
For many restaurants, it’s more than a service fee – your name is replaced, customers are pulled away, and profits quietly shrink. Choosing a delivery partner can feel like handing over your front door keys to a stranger and hoping they’ll treat your space carefully.
We built Sauce because we saw what was happening. Restaurants were working harder and earning less, stuck in systems that didn’t have their best interests in mind. So, we did something different. We offer delivery and pickup without commission fees and keep restaurants in control – from branding to customer relationships. This isn’t just delivery – it’s a better way to run your business online.
In this piece, we’ll help you figure out what the best food delivery service looks like for a restaurant – and how to choose the one that helps you stay in charge while serving more customers.
What To Look For In The Best Food Delivery Service
There’s no shortage of platforms promising speed and reach, but not all of them work in a restaurant’s favor. If you want your business's best food delivery service, you must know what matters – beyond apps and advertising. Here’s what to pay attention to:
Look At The Fees, Not Just The Features: Most restaurants don’t realize how much commission affects their bottom line. Some delivery apps take 20% to 30% of every order, which can wipe out your profits by the end of the month. A service with low or no commission, especially flat-rate pricing, helps you keep more of what you earn.
Stay In Front Of Your Customer: Customers who order through a third-party platform remember their brand – not yours. The best food delivery service keeps your name, menu, and presence front and center, using your site, Google page, and social channels. That way, customers stay connected to your restaurant – not someone else’s platform.
Make Sure It Works With Your Flow: You don’t need a service that creates more work. The proper delivery partner will handle dispatch, customer updates, and driver coordination without pulling your staff into it. It should feel like a part of your system—not something that distracts from the kitchen or slows down the front of the house.
Know Who Owns The Customer Relationship: When a customer orders, that relationship should belong to the restaurant – not the app. Some platforms block you from seeing order history and customer info or provide direct support. The best food delivery service gives you full access and control to keep your regulars returning without middlemen in the way.
Top Food Delivery Services For Restaurants In 2025
Restaurants have more choices than ever regarding delivery, but not all services are built the same. Some take more than they give. Others let you stay in control, keep your profits, and build stronger customer relationships. Here's a look at the most talked-about options this year:
Sauce
Sauce offers a restaurant-first approach. Unlike major third-party apps, Sauce allows restaurants to set up their own branded online ordering system. This means they can take orders directly from their websites and social media pages while keeping more control over customer data. Sauce also offers flat-rate delivery pricing, which can help restaurants better manage their margins. It's ideal for restaurants that want delivery without handing over a big cut of their profits.
DoorDash
DoorDash remains a major player in the delivery space. With a large user base and strong brand recognition, it brings in high order volumes. Restaurants benefit from the platform’s built-in marketing and promotional tools, which help attract new customers. While commission rates can be high, the exposure can make it worthwhile for restaurants that want to reach a broad audience quickly.
Uber Eats
Uber Eats continues to be one of the most widely used delivery services. It offers broad coverage, a smooth user experience, and integration with the Uber app. Restaurants benefit from the platform’s global name and quick delivery system. The app also offers flexible restaurant options – whether they want to handle their delivery or use Uber’s network.
Grubhub
Grubhub is a long-standing platform with a strong presence in many U.S. cities. It’s known for reliable service and solid customer reach. Grubhub’s tools for loyalty programs and promotions can help restaurants build repeat business. Its performance varies by region, but it remains a solid option for consistent delivery orders in many areas.
ChowNow
ChowNow focuses on helping restaurants build their ordering systems rather than pushing orders through a marketplace. There are no commission fees, which makes it appealing for independent restaurants. ChowNow also allows restaurants to keep their branding front and center, and it offers marketing tools to help drive direct orders. For restaurants that want to maintain more control and build long-term customer relationships, ChowNow is worth considering.
Commission-Free vs. Commission-Based Platforms
The difference between commission-free and commission-based services is more than pricing – it’s about who has the power. One lets a restaurant keep its earnings and stay close to its customers. The other takes a share of every transaction while separating the brand from the guest experience.
Commission-Based Platforms Cut Into Every Order
Delivery apps that charge commissions usually take 20% to 30% of each sale, sometimes more. That might seem manageable initially, but it chips at your margins whenever someone orders. Sauce doesn’t do that. Over the course of a month, you're handing over hundreds – or even thousands – just to stay visible on their app.
Commission-Free Models Keep You In Control
Running a steady business is easier when you're not paying a percentage of every sale. A flat-rate or zero-commission setup helps you plan without surprises or sliding profits. It also means you're not forced to raise prices to make ends meet.
It’s About Ownership, Not Just Cost
Commission-free delivery isn't only about saving money – it’s about keeping the connection between your restaurant and your customer. With commission-based platforms, that relationship gets filtered through a third-party system that collects the data and controls the interaction. When the ordering happens on your site or social page, your brand stays front and center every time.
Sauce: A Modern Alternative To Traditional Delivery Apps
We started Sauce because restaurants needed a different delivery partner that didn’t take a cut from every order. Instead of charging 20% to 30% in commission, we offer a flat, low delivery fee that doesn’t change based on distance or order size. That helps a restaurant keep more earnings while still reaching customers across town.
With Sauce, customers order directly through your website, Google listing, or social platforms like Instagram and Facebook. That means you control the customer experience from start to finish. We don’t put our branding in the middle – we support yours from behind the scenes.
The best food delivery service gives a restaurant flexibility without extra work. We handle the driver logistics, customer support, and tracking so your staff can stay focused on the kitchen. You get full visibility into your orders, customers, and business – without giving up a piece of it.
How To Decide What’s Best For Your Restaurant
The best food delivery service doesn’t look the same for every restaurant. Some places care most about control, others care about reach, and many are trying to stop the profit leaks. Here's how to figure out what works best for your setup:
Know What You’re Keeping After Every Order
The service isn't working for you if the numbers don’t make sense. High commission fees may increase orders and shrink your profit with every sale. A delivery service should help you grow, not leave you doing more for less.
Decide Who Should Own The Customer Experience
When orders go through your site or Google page, the customer experience feels like they came from your restaurant. But if they happen inside someone else’s app, their brand comes first – not yours. The best food delivery service lets you stay in front so customers remember where they ordered from.
Consider What Fits With Your Daily Workflow
Some restaurants have time to manage drivers and troubleshoot delivery issues – but most don’t. If a service creates more work for your staff, it’s costing you more than it’s helping. Look for something that handles the logistics so your team can focus on the food.
Final Thoughts
Food delivery is now a core part of how restaurants reach customers, but not all services support how you do business. The right choice depends on what matters most to your restaurant – keeping more of each sale, staying connected with your regulars, or making sure your team isn’t stretched thin. Delivery shouldn’t come at the cost of your identity or income. Whatever path you choose, ensure it helps you run your restaurant on your terms.
Read Also:
Frequently Asked Questions About Best Food Delivery Service
What makes a food delivery service "the best" for restaurants?
The best food delivery service keeps your profits intact and lets you stay connected to your customers. It doesn’t push its own brand over yours. It should work in the background, not take over the front.
Can a small restaurant afford to use delivery services?
Yes, especially with commission-free options that offer flat fees. These models are easier to plan and don’t eat into thin margins. Small restaurants should avoid high-fee platforms that demand volume just to break even.
How important is it to keep customer data in food delivery?
It’s essential because it allows you to keep regulars coming back. If the delivery platform keeps that data, you lose customer relationship control. Direct ordering helps you stay connected and build loyalty.
Are all delivery apps commission-based?
No. Some platforms, like Sauce, offer commission-free models with flat delivery fees. These are better for restaurants that want consistent costs and more control.
How does delivery affect customer experience?
Delivery is often the first physical interaction someone has with your food. If it arrives late or cold, it reflects badly on your restaurant, not the driver. That’s why reliable delivery support matters as much as the food itself.
Why do some restaurants raise prices on delivery apps?
They do it to cover high commission fees. Without those fees, pricing can stay consistent across dine-in and delivery. It keeps customers from feeling like they’re being charged more for convenience.
What should I ask a delivery partner before signing up?
Ask about fees, control over customer data, and who handles delivery logistics. Also, ask if orders can come through your own site or social pages. If the answers don’t fit your needs, it’s not the right fit.
Do food delivery platforms affect dine-in traffic?
Sometimes. Customers might not come in if the experience feels disconnected or impersonal. The best food delivery service should work alongside your in-house business, not compete with it.
How does Sauce support restaurants differently?
We don’t take a commission on orders, and we don’t step between you and your customers. Orders go through your channels, and we handle the behind-the-scenes delivery. That way, your restaurant stays in control from start to finish.
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