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What does a restaurant need to sell food online

What does a restaurant need to sell food online?

Selling food online has proven to be a necessity in the new normal of restaurants, as more and more people prefer to order food at home or to go instead of eating in an establishment. 

 

If you also want to renovate your restaurant to meet the new demands of consumers, it is important that you know everything you will need to be successful in your online sales. Here are some points to keep in mind!

 1. A menu that can be safely transported

Selling food online is not just fast food. Many restaurants have been successful with shipping salads, soups, and even gourmet food, but to achieve this you must have the proper containers and handling for each type of food. For example:

  • Hot and cold food separation.
  • Adequate packaging and hermetically sealed with the use of adhesives.
  • Separate liquid sauces and dressings into individual, airtight containers.
  • For soups or creams, use special containers and wrap them in plastic or paper.

2. Home delivery or take away service

food online

So that your sales channel online is really successful, it is important that your restaurant has the adequate facilities to offer the service to pick up, as well as a home delivery service properly trained to ensure the satisfaction of your customers in each delivery.

What can you do if you don't have a cast crew?

If you had to withdraw your waiters during the pandemic and some of them have their own transportation or you can provide transportation, a good option to reintegrate them is as part of your home delivery team.

Alliance with taxi or parcel services

If you do not have the possibility of hiring your own delivery team, you can investigate which companies offer service of delivery motorcycles, taxis or parcels in your area and contact them to generate alliances in your home deliveries, considering a flat rate that you can include in your shipping costs.

Cast applications

A quick option to offer home delivery is register your business in the food delivery applications that are present in your locality. This can also help you to publicize your business among the users of these apps

However, as it is a third-party platform, the control of the delivered It will not be in your hands and accidents could occur in the transfer of the order or a bad service in the delivery that leaves a bad impression among your customers about your restaurant.

You should also consider that the applications generate a commission that can represent more than 30 percent on request, for which it is recommended that, although you use them at first, you consider the other options to be able to get the most out of your deliveries.

It may interest you: Why Selling Food Online Helps A Restaurant Grow

3. A platform to receive and manage food orders online

platform to receive and send food orders online

Thanks to the development of new technologies for restaurants, the ways to sell food online have become increasingly accessible and lower cost.

An innovative option that has emerged among restaurants is the customizable platforms to sell food online safely and quickly, either for home delivery or to pick up.

Unlike a website, which tends to take too long to create each of its sections from scratch, these platforms are specially designed so that the creation of your online menu is fast and extremely easy.

On the other hand, an own platform to sell food online allows you not only to offer food at home but also to pick up, a requirement for customers who prefer to collect their order and make sure you don't have an accident on the way home.

It may interest you: How to start selling food online in a restaurant

4. Accept online payments and various payment methods

Online payments are increasingly common due to the ease and speed that they offer users to make their purchases on the Internet. 

Furthermore, they have proven to be a ideal way to avoid contact with surfaces that can spread Covid-19, so it is recommended that you choose a platform to sell food online that allows you to offer this method, in addition to various payment methods (in cash or with a bank terminal).

5. Comply with food safety and transportation guidelines

It is important that you can consult what are the legal, hygienic and food transport guidelines that your restaurant must take into account for the delivery of food at home and to take away. The requirements vary between each country and even between locations, but generally include aspects such as:

  • Have adequate storage for all food, cold and dry.
  • Have a state business license.
  • Have all the necessary permits from local authorities.
  • Have the certificates of your country or locality for a safe reopening.

With the arrival of the new normal it is important ensure your home and take-out deliveries are free of Covid-19 and other infectious diseases, so we recommend you download the Guide for a safe home delivery in your restaurant to know in detail the guidelines that you must implement.

CTA GUIDE SAFE DELIVERY HOME

6. A dissemination strategy on the internet

In order to attract more customers on the Internet, it is necessary that you share the links through which you receive online orders on all the networks and platforms you have within reach.

Take advantage of the free tools that social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp messaging have to promote your business on the internet and maintain direct contact with your customers.

7. A system to keep track of your inventories

sale of food online

An important aspect that you should consider is the control of your inventories for your online orders, because as it is a new sales channel, you must properly measure the yields of the portions to ensure that each dish has the quality that the customer is expecting

The most recommended option to take full control of your sales online is to have a restaurant software that provides you with tools to automatically record your sales from your online ordering platforms, as is the case with Soft Restaurant®.

In this way, you will be able to control your inventories automatically, avoid wastage and standardize the costs of your dishes for home delivery and take-out with the same accuracy as in your restaurant.

Now yes ... To sell food online in your restaurant!

Since you know the main needs that you must cover in order to send food online in your restaurant, we invite you to know the Soft Restaurant e-Delivery platform, which it will help you to cover them successfully, improve your customer experience and increase your income.

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