Restaurant Online Ordering Statistics

Here is a list of statistics to show you how fast online ordering is growing, what it can do for your business, and how consumers prefer to order.

1. The number of users expected to use online ordering in 2021 is 821 million.
2. Restaurant chains that choose to manage their own deliveries can increase their profitability by 30% per food order.
3. It is projected that online ordering food revenue will rise to be $220 billion in 2023 - 40% of restaurant sales. 
4. Digital ordering and delivery have been growing 300% than dine-in traffic since 2014. 
5. Takeout increased by 286% in 2020. 
6. Digital orders have increased by 135% since June 2020. 
7. 70% of consumers prefer to order directly from a restaurant. 
8. 48% of consumers believe it is cheaper to order directly from a restaurant than through third-party apps. 
9. 86% of operators add online ordering during COVID and plan to keep it. 
10. 46% of consumers expect restaurants to offer online/mobile ordering. 
11. 84% of consumers currently order delivery or takeout once a week.
12. 57% of consumers are ordering delivery or takeout once or twice a week. 
13. Online order tickets average 30% higher than orders placed in-person or called in. 
14. 55% of people prefer to order without having to interact with a person.  
15. Adding high-quality photos to your online page is guaranteed to boost sales by up to 30%. 
16. Items that have photos next to them average an increase of 6.5% in sales compared to those without. 
17. Photo-based menus on an online ordering platform versus text-based menus increase conversion rate by 25% or more. 
18. Percentage of consumers say carry out is essential to their lifestyle. 
    1. All adults: 53%
    2. Gen Z: 54%
    3. Gen X: 57%
    4. Millennials: 64%
    5. Baby boomers: 43%
19. Percentage of restaurant operators who say they have added curbside takeout since COVID:
    1. Family dining: 78%
    2. Casual dining: 73%
    3. Fine dining: 81%
    4. Quick service: 58%
    5. Fast-casual: 77%
    6. Coffee and snack: 64%
20. 53% of millennials are more likely to choose a restaurant if it offers to-go alcoholic beverages. 
21. 85% of consumers want tamper-evident labels on their food deliveries. 
22. 34% of consumers will spend as much as $50 per order when ordering online. 
23. Loyalty members spend twice as much on takeout orders. 
24. 35% of consumers agree that it's easier to customize their order on a restaurant's own site or mobile app.
25. 35% of consumers say that ordering on a third-party site is faster than alternatives.
26. 33% of people say many restaurants do not have their own ordering sites.