How to Start a Restaurant Delivery Service

In the restaurant delivery service you can start an independent delivery system which delivers the food to customers without the restaurant having to keep more staff!

You get a tip for delivery plus a percentage of the food bill; read on for more information on how to start a restaurant delivery service!

How to start a restaurant delivery service!

It’s a fact that people nowadays prefer to have food delivered to the home rather than dress up and go out to a restaurant for dinner! Restaurants have woken up to the fact that no matter how good your food is, sometimes people are just too tired to go out to eat! It pays off to have a good food delivery system which will send food to the customer at a nominal fee.

How a restaurant delivery system works!

  • You don’t need to have a restaurant of your own. All you need to do is find all the restaurants in your neighborhood that do not have a home delivery service but are pretty popular with the people in the neighborhood.
  • You can even have your own food cooking in your home kitchen, print menus and then deliver it from your home.
  • A food delivery service also needs a huge amount of organization to organize the restaurants and their menus.
  • You will have to have a strict inventory of when each restaurant has a peak time for delivery and what the restaurants’ products are.
  • You will also need to take the orders, organize the orders with the restaurants and when the delivery times are, and when and where to dispatch delivery drivers using the shortest route.
  • Target areas where there are a large amount of people who will need meals delivered like apartment blocks, office buildings etc.
  • You might need to hire two more boys with their own transport systems to deliver the food to different localities.
  • You will also food insulation systems, brochures for advertisements, mobiles and fax systems to get orders instantly and to record customer’s addresses and telephone numbers for delivery.
  • Decide what fee you want to charge for your food delivery system. A few restaurants offer a percentage of the food bill or you can ask for a flat fee. Either way, make sure it is feasible to cover your delivery expenses and the fees of the staff you keep.

Tips and tricks-

  • Choose a niche market where you are guaranteed customers like a gourmet meal service or a diet meal plan where your customers require meals nearly everyday.
  • Try personal chef services where you can arrange a deal with the chef to prepare and send out personal meals to all his clients. One good way to do this is to visit the United States Personal Chef Association website where you can find a gourmet chef with a set of clients. On the website’s main page, you have to click on the” Find a Personal Chef" link, put in your zip code, and then link up with them!

23 Comments

  • Wes said on May 14, 2009
    What kind of licensing would you need?
  • Kerry said on May 14, 2009
    A guy at my job was telling me there was a "Food Taxi" where he used to live. I'm thinking of starting this same type of business. On taxes would you deduct the cost of gas, miles, or both on your business taxes?
  • RB said on October 11, 2009
    I'm starting a food Delivery service. How do I Market this business? And thank you for that information.
  • Joe McVoy said on January 13, 2010
    I'm from Lafayette Colorado, started with one food delivery service in my area and now since the opportunity is still very new, there's a big chance of success, specially if there's no similar service yet in your area. I'm now providing area developer opportunities for others who'd be interested. http://www.dine-in-delivery.com
  • Jad Abla said on February 25, 2010
    Springfeild, VA. I manage a restaurant and i'm planning on having a delivery system for my restaurant. Can you please provide us with some ideas. Thank you
  • Paul Franklen said on May 24, 2010
    Hi, I am in Phase 3 of something very similar, before I continue can someone please tell me if anyone actually replies? I need advice on what insurance to get and types of contracts. Thank you
  • talha said on July 24, 2010
    i m working in a restaurant as a delivery boy in a Arabic restaurant located in Dubai freezone area. in this area lot of offices cuz its logistic area and trade with lot of offices located in this area. many people are working inside. plz guide me how i can get more delivery order cuz my boss is not happy with delivery service n i dont want to lose this job plz guide me how i can get lot of orders for deliveries. if u give me good tips i should be very thankful to u. i will keep in touch with u until i make my own restaurant. ok
  • Bassem Madi said on September 19, 2010
    we are planning to start with outdoor food service, if possible to provide us how we can start advance delivery service, thanks
  • Ozoude benson said on September 24, 2010
    i want to start a food delivery service in NIGERIA, ENUGU STATE. the idea is creating a mobile kitchen. please advice me on how to start.
  • Jocelyn Gonzales-Grigsby said on October 21, 2010
    Hello, my name is Joy from Long Beach, California. I would like to open a home cook Filipino Soul Food delivery service from home. I will cook the food from my own kitchen and have it deliver to hospitals or skilled nursing facility (catering to filipino hospital and skilled facility staff. What kind of licensure I need? How much it will cost me to start this business? And, can I run the business from home although i am renting? Please need an advised.
  • vilaphong said on May 20, 2011
    i am from Laos,vientiane city. i have just started my own restaurant and i have some idea to make delivery restaurant but am not confident to successful. so i will try and find some information about restaurant that are successful.if my method success i will tell you letter. thanks for your idea
  • Yogesh said on July 17, 2011
    I would like to have a same service like delivery of healthy morning breakfasts to JAFZA area in Jebel Ali - Dubai-UAE & DIFC area in DUBAI
  • Jason said on October 8, 2011
    Hello Everyone, I am the owner of www.Lightning-Delivery.com here is Springfield, MO. After reading everyone's questions, this is what I can tell you, Step 1 build a business plan. Every question that is being asked whether its a question on taxes, licenses, marketing and insurance its all dependent on were you live. This is information no one is going to have for you, you need to research everything.

    I went through 2 years of dream development before a finished a huge business, that I continue to update. But here is a couple answers, yes you need insurance, doesn't matter if you have a LLC if your liabilities are ever higher than your equity, you need insurance. Get a local agent to handle all state matters, state laws get complicated. Federal tax is easy, use a tax software and follow steps. Its best to start on the beginning of a fiscal year to minimize fee's.

    When you have your plan and you are ready to start, you'll need about $25,000 capital and a solid year of day in day out dedication. Put on a suit or whatever dress you feel is appropriate and talk to restaurant owners. You'll need a Service Agreement made, find a lawyer to write you one or do it yourself. This agreement is vital, it should outline how the restaurant and RDS work together, how each party gets paid and etc.
  • WILBERT CACAFRANCA said on April 28, 2012
    antipolo city, Philippines, I live in near to a posh subdivisions and I thank you for giving this idea to start my own business with a minimal investment. more power..
  • Giannis said on May 1, 2012
    Munchen City German. i Start a delivery with greek Food. my Question is what Kind of Color for my Foyers use. i'm interested to use the Color of irida. i want something attractive. what do u think!???
  • Sandrelle said on November 9, 2012
    I have two authentic Nepolitana pizza restaurants in Toronto and I would like to set up a delivery service. Please advise what requirements are necessary as well as where I can get the license and Insurance. Thank you.
  • moris munene said on November 16, 2012
    i live in nairobi kenya and i would like to start a small business about food supply and packing please help me on what to do
  • Chris said on December 19, 2012
    I'm from Brooklyn and have been working in the restaurant industry for many years. The advice in this column about cooking from home and delivering it is complete horse shit. That's not legal anywhere in the US due to health department regulations. I didn't bother to read the rest, and why should I? With such a glaring mistake this is obviously not written by anyone who has any idea about what they're writing about. That's the internet for you.

    Here's my advice, if you want to start a business you should have some experience in it. If you want to start a food business, say for example a coffee shop, then go work for Starbucks for a couple months and take detailed notes. Learn how the best in your industry do it and do it like that. Don't cut corners, you'll only end up hurting yourself in the long run.
  • ohiosimuan odion said on March 12, 2013
    i want to start a food delivery service in NIGERIA, LAGOS STATE. the idea is creating Home made delicacies for your LUNCH delight, brot 2 ur door steps/offices 4 ur convenience. please advice me on how to start.
  • KM said on August 29, 2013
    How much does the delivery company normally charge the restaurants to sign up with them?
  • sthembiso said on October 10, 2013
    i wanna start a delivery service business. how can i start it n how i'm in south africa in witbnk plz help. i really wanna do this business
  • Jason Hernandez said on October 30, 2014
    I have been running a start-up delivery business in Springfield, IL and looking for small investors who we can help expand. We have 3 locations in 2 states. Please message me if interested!
  • Elizabeth Lauterhahn said on December 2, 2014
    I'm trying to start my business in Portsmouth NH. I plan on doing breakfast delivery. I am currently am delivering food for a pizza place. I am interested in finding out more about how this works. I have met with a business counselor. So how much of a percentage do you mark up the food and include delivery charge? Plus also who can I go to for web design and hosting? I already have a customer base because of all the networking I have done in my current job. I might even be taking some drivers with me in my new business. Plus I would be the only business in the area who is doing this.

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