Pros And Cons Of Dine In vs Delivery For Businesses

With the rapid growth of the food industry, it’s important to understand the differences between these two options.

Since the late 2010s, India’s online food ordering industry has really boomed. Many people have veered towards ordering restaurant delivery to their homes or offices rather than the conventional setting of dining in at restaurants.

Restaurant Delivery

Like every other sector, the food delivery sector is undergoing constant development and improvement as it expands. And the Pandemic just accelerated this process by acting as a catalyst by boosting the shift toward food delivery. As people were forced to reduce physical interactions amidst the lockdown, restaurant delivery services bridged the gap. And now more than ever, the food delivery industry is more suited to adapt to any potential hurdles that might arise. And as this transition has taken place, it has created some advantages and disadvantages – both for restaurant owners as well as customers.

The Upside

For all these reasons, people assume that the food delivery industry has overtaken dine-in or made it obsolete. But in truth, it has helped restaurants find another source of revenue. Especially for those diners that are limited by the amount of real estate that they have. They can only seat a limited number of patrons. By opting to deliver to them, they can open up their potential customer base to a whole host of new people. By forcing restaurants to adapt during the Pandemic, the market has set up restaurants to become more resilient in the future.

For Customers, however, the upsides are plentiful too –

A plethora of options – Online ordering offers customers multiple cuisines which cannot be compared to a menu from a single restaurant.
Convenience – Ease of access and hassle-free process – avoiding travel and traffic.
Transparency – It keeps the customer informed and well-placed to make their choice more easily. For example, if a dish is available or not at a restaurant, the customer can try a different location.
Customer satisfaction – Competition online creates incentives for restaurants to offer the best quality of food and ensure that their customers are satisfied.

The Downside

There are some disadvantages to ordering food online too. For example, the food may get cold or spoiled in the course of delivery. There is also the environmental cost of packaging like plastic and disposable cutlery.

However, restaurants and delivery services are constantly looking to tackle these issues. Delivery times are being cut short, and packaging & cutlery are becoming more eco-friendly. In most cases, restaurants only give cutlery if the customers opt for it.

Dine-In

On the other hand, Dine-in Restaurants provide an opportunity to enjoy a meal in a great ambiance for a memorable experience. The tradition of eating at a restaurant will never go out of style. Added to this is the benefit of service that customers get in a restaurant. It is also a place for social gatherings, be it a casual get-together, a celebration, or just for getting away from the tedium of eating at the same table every day.

However, there are some cons as well. Restaurants are still limited by the size of the real estate. This makes getting reservations at popular restaurants very difficult. There is also the downside of being able to do nothing else while you wait for your order to arrive.

Conclusion

Both businesses, be it online food delivery or fine dining restaurants, have to modify and adapt their business strategies to satisfy their customers’ ever-evolving needs. The pandemic has forced restaurants to evolve, making them suited for takeaways and online delivery, especially for those who are loyal to a particular restaurant and can enjoy food from those places.

Rather than competing with dine-in restaurants, food delivery can enhance the dining experience, should restaurants play their cards right.

Should your restaurant want to deliver food, Borzo is your partner. Starting at INR 50, Borzo has some of the most affordable delivery prices in the country. Deliver your packages in as little as 45 minutes and track your deliveries live via our website or mobile app so you and your clients can be assured that your parcels are safe on their routes.

You may leave your contact details here if you wish to learn more about opening a Borzo business account. 💙

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