22 Online Ordering Statistics Every Restaurateur Should Know in 2024

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: the popularity of online ordering is on a meteoric rise. From giants like Amazon to small startups, direct-to-consumer delivery and pickup options have swept the country and restaurants are no exception. Ordering food online or through a mobile app took off in 2019 and it will only continue to grow further and faster.

With the rise in mobile and online ordering across industries, consumers have turned to solutions that simplify their lives and even the biggest skeptics are translating their dining experience into an online ordering solution integrated with their restaurant POS system to better serve guests. But just how important is providing online ordering for your digital customers? 

Restaurant online ordering statistics

For savvy restaurateurs that rely on data to make important business decisions, we have 23 restaurant management and online ordering statistics that will give you some insight into just how powerful this functionality is.

1. 60% of U.S. consumers order delivery or takeout once a week.
2. 31% say they use these third-party delivery services at least twice a week.
3. 34% of consumers spend at least $50 per order when ordering food online.
4. 20% of consumers say they spend more on off-premise orders compared to a regular dine-in experience.
5. Digital ordering and delivery have grown 300% faster than dine-in traffic since 2014.
6. 70% of consumers say they’d rather order directly from a restaurant, preferring that their money goes straight to the restaurant and not a third party.
7. 57% of millennials say that they have restaurant food delivered so they can watch movies and TV shows at home.
8. 59% of restaurant orders from millennials are takeout or delivery.
9. 33% of consumers say they would be willing to pay a higher fee for faster delivery service.
10. 87% of Americans who use third-party food delivery services agree that it makes their lives easier.
11. 45% of consumers say that offering mobile ordering or loyalty programs would encourage them to use online ordering services more often.
12. 63% of consumers agree that it is more convenient to get delivery than dining out with a family.
13. Americans who have not used a third-party restaurant delivery service say fast delivery (31%), restaurant selection (28%), low order minimums (27%) and first-use coupons (26%) would motivate them to try it.
14. 60% of restaurant operators say that offering delivery has generated incremental sales.
15. Pizza chains reported an 18% increase in customer spend from online/mobile orders vs. phone orders.
16. Working with a third party delivery service has been found to raise restaurant sales volume by 10 to 20%.
17. Delivery sales could rise an annual average of more than 20% to $365 billion worldwide by 2030, from $35 billion.
18. 43% of restaurant professionals said they believe third-party apps—many of which withhold data—interfere with the direct relationship between a restaurant/bar/pub and its customers.
19. Customers who place an online order with a restaurant will visit that restaurant 67% more frequently than those who don’t. 
20. Mobile orders account for 14% of a restaurant’s total revenue on average.
21.  According to a study by Appetize, 77% of guests still want to use contactless payments after the pandemic.
22. Own your online ordering system: 43% of restaurant professionals said they believe third-party apps interfere with the direct relationship between a restaurant and its customers.

How can online ordering impact your restaurant?

Online ordering is still growing in popularity and if hungry consumers can’t order from your restaurant, they might go elsewhere. If you want to know just how much of an impact an integrated online ordering solution can make on your business, a ramen restaurant in Vancouver, WA can give you some insight.

Kenn Pluard understands the importance of the intersection of food service and technology. With 70% of consumers interested in ordering directly from a restaurant, Kenn is keeping delivery commissions in his pocket through an integrated solution. Having online ordering on the Kenji’s Ramen website saves them from being hit with third-party commission fees.

After implementing a native online ordering solution, Kenji’s Ramen saw huge results in their own restaurant:

• Introducing online ordering has increased sales by 10%.
• Kenji’s saves 35% per order by using an owned online ordering solution.

“Millennials want a good experience. They want efficiency and they want to order online. You have to adapt to them,” Pluard says. “Restaurants can’t be scared to use technology because it’s something that can only benefit them by saving time and eliminating errors.”

While there are some benefits to using third-party online ordering apps, restaurant owners can no longer deny the positive impact that a native, integrated online ordering solution can have on their business. 

Ready to start increasing your orders while also saving money on third-party fees? See how Lightspeed’s one-stop restaurant management system with integrated online ordering can help.