DELIVERING THE DIGITAL RESTAURANT

A data-driven look at the steps restaurants must take to thrive in the digital age.

Debut authors Sandland and Orsbourn draw upon their extensive backgrounds in restaurant development and operations to craft a manual that aims to allow restaurants to meet their customers “where they are: online.” The authors begin their analysis with a demographic and sociological explanation for why their work is necessary. As Americans have shifted away from traditional family structures, for example, they’ve relied more heavily on restaurants for both sustenance and pleasure. Millennials and members of Generation Z, the authors say, spend significant amounts of their monthly income on restaurant meals, and they want to eat what they want, whenever they want it, so they order online; for these digital natives, “delivery is the new drive thru. And the rest of the population is not far behind.” The authors effectively explain the core competencies of digital platforms and analyze compelling examples of successful food delivery systems from around the world. They highlight marketing and customization opportunities for such systems without ignoring their challenges, such as the fact that off-premise consumers typically don’t order beverages and desserts. The authors also discuss the potential inherent in “ghost kitchens”—kitchens shared by multiple restaurants that focus on delivery only—and constantly stress the role that the Covid-19 pandemic is playing in the evolution of the food-service industry. Perhaps most notably for independent restaurant owners, Sandland and Orsbourn clearly lay out how marketing opportunities expand when a consumer uses a restaurant’s own online system rather than a third-party platform, such as DoorDash. The book also features insights drawn from more than 100 interviews with industry insiders and data from a variety of sources in multiple charts and graphs. Overall, Sandland and Orsbourn have created an essential road map for operating restaurants successfully in the modern age.

Serious restaurateurs will appreciate this comprehensive guide to delivery success.