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20 Food Delivery Statistics to Know in 2023

Food delivery stats

Takeaway dining continued to surge in 2023. In this article, we explore 20 interesting statistics about food delivery through apps and online orders.

If there’s one aspect of the restaurant industry that’s proven its staying power, it’s off-premise dining — especially takeout and delivery.

There’s been a huge surge in delivery and takeout services since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the food delivery statistics to prove it. COVID-19 threatened to completely decimate the industry, with dining inside restaurants becoming risky, restaurants being forced to shutter, and unemployment rates rising. 

To stay afloat, many restaurants created or ramped up their takeout, delivery, and online ordering services, hoping that limited contact and increased safety measures would help mitigate some of the losses from in-person dining. And it did. In our study of off-premise dining behaviors, 13% of guests reported that they ordered delivery more, while 10% of guests reported that they ordered delivery significantly more now compared to pre-COVID times. We’re not the only ones taking note of these food delivery statistics. The entire restaurant industry has been tracking the astronomical rise in online food ordering trends, and taking notes. 

Below, we’ve compiled some interesting and useful food delivery statistics to know in 2022.

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2022 Food Delivery Statistics

  1. While takeout dining increased by only 2% in August 2020 compared to March 2020 (pre-COVID), ordering takeout for lunch saw the highest jump from 37% (March 2020) to 43% in August 2020.

  1. According to digital marketing agency Zion & Zion, Grubhub is the most popular delivery app, with 37.8% of the market share. UberEats is a close second, with 36%.

  1. What’s the most ordered food for takeout? It’s chicken, especially in states like Michigan, Rhode Island, North Carolina and Florida.

  1. The second most popular takeout item is Chinese food, popular in almost every state from South Carolina to Nevada.

  1. For the folks of New Mexico, the #1 delivery food item is salad.

  1. Millennials and Gen Zers are most likely to use delivery apps, with 63% of individuals 18-29 reporting that they’ve used a delivery app or website in the last three months.

  1. The pandemic skyrocketed delivery sales. And growth is expected to continue well after 2020, with over 185 million people expected to use online food delivery services by 2025.

  1. Speaking of growth, revenue for food delivery services is expected to grow by 9.18% annually. Delivery services are expected to reach over 45 billion dollars by 2025!

  1. Online food delivery’s overall revenue is still going strong, with a projection of almost 32 billion dollars in 2021.

  1. Food delivery is increasingly becoming a part of our lives. Over 50% of adults state that takeout and delivery services are essential.

  1. 6 out of 10 adults were more likely to get their food delivered now compared to pre-COVID. The number was even higher for millennials, at 71%.

  1. Fine dining restaurants pivoted the most during the pandemic, with over 54% of restaurateurs allocating more resources to off-premise dining like delivery services.

  1. If your restaurant takes delivery orders online, here’s some good news: revenue is projected to increase by 12.2% in 2022.

  1. Curbside delivery was extremely popular—so much so that it was the most adopted option for off-premise dining during the beginning of the pandemic.

  1. 29% of consumers order online delivery regularly, at least a few times a month.

  1. For takeout orders, the phone is still king. 52% of people stated that they order takeout on the phone.

  1. When it comes to delivery, keep in mind that guests still care about the same things pre-and post pandemic: the quality of the food after delivery. Over 65% of people reported that quality is the top metric when it comes to a food delivery experience.

  1. Following food quality, ease of ordering and cleanliness were listed as the second and third most important factors, at 50% and 48% respectively.

  1. For takeout orders, food quality still reigned supreme at 57%, but cleanliness and safety jumped up to second at 40% in June 2020.

  1. As of 2020, guests ordered takeout more than delivery, with 20% of people ordering takeout once a week. This may be due to the increased level of control diners have with handling their food using takeout compared to delivery. 

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DISCLAIMER: This information is provided for general informational purposes only, and publication does not constitute an endorsement. Toast does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of any information, text, graphics, links, or other items contained within this content. Toast does not guarantee you will achieve any specific results if you follow any advice herein. It may be advisable for you to consult with a professional such as a lawyer, accountant, or business advisor for advice specific to your situation.