Alex Vasilkin, co-founder and CEO of Cartwheel, describes how restaurants can maximize holiday catering profits while ensuring every dish arrives party-ready.
‘Tis the season of office parties and family gatherings, and that means catering orders are about to surge. While customers are happy to pay premium prices for holiday spreads, they expect nothing less than perfection when their food arrives.
Whether you’re a seasoned catering pro or new to large-scale delivery, now’s the time to streamline your operation. Don’t have your own delivery fleet? No problem. Here’s how to maximize your holiday catering profits while ensuring every dish arrives party-ready.
1. National vs. local fleets
When it comes to catering delivery, you’ve got options, and choosing the right one can make or break your holiday season success.
National delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Direct offer the reliability of extensive networks and consistent availability.
DoorDash’s Large Order Fulfillment program demonstrates this scale: with Premium Dashers active in 8,600 zip codes, these drivers maintain a 4.7+ average star rating and are held to higher acceptance, completeness and ‘on-time’ standards than regular deliveries. While some restaurants may hesitate to trust high-stakes catering orders to these platforms, their robust networks excel at reliable coverage and handling volume surges efficiently, particularly during peak seasons.
Local delivery fleets, while typically more expensive, bring a level of service that can elevate your catering game. Providers like Dlivrd, DeliverThat and LDC offer highly trained delivery staff who understand the importance of presentation, premium service, and dedicated dispatchers who optimize and monitor routes in real-time., ultimately extending your brand’s commitment to quality right to the customer’s door.
Many restaurants are finding success with a hybrid approach. By using a delivery management solution, you can leverage both options strategically to keep costs in check — national fleets for broader coverage and local providers for those high-stakes deliveries where presentation is everything.
2. Streamline your systems
Once you’ve selected your delivery solution, technology becomes the key to optimizing your operations. Modern delivery management solutions do more than just connect you with drivers; they streamline every aspect of your catering delivery.
These platforms enable you to integrate multiple delivery providers (Uber Direct, DoorDash, local DSPs, etc.) into one efficient system, empowering you to automatically select the best delivery option for each order based on factors like size, timing, and destination. For reliable coverage, ensure your platform has relationships with at least 2-3 providers in each zip code where you operate.
The impact on your bottom line can be significant. Integrations with other solutions throughout the restaurant tech ecosystem can help restaurants automate scheduling, tracking, and billing, which reduces both labor costs and administrative time. Real-time tracking capabilities are particularly valuable: ezCater reports that 90% of orderers are more likely to order from a restaurant that offers delivery tracking updates, yet only 25% of restaurants have reported investing in this feature – creating a clear opportunity to differentiate your catering service in a competitive market.
3. Offset delivery costs while maintaining quality
Understanding how to structure delivery fees is crucial for protecting your margins while meeting customer expectations. For catering orders, particularly during peak seasons, a strategic approach to delivery pricing can help offset costs without impacting demand.
Consider implementing a transparent delivery fee as a percentage of the subtotal for large orders and business customers. When clearly stated during checkout, customers readily accept this pricing structure, especially for catering orders where reliability and quality are paramount.
The larger the order, the more flexibility you have with fee structures. Consider these pricing models: For premium service, customers may cover 100% of delivery costs, ensuring the highest level of service. A balanced approach might split delivery fees between your restaurant and the customer, while variable pricing lets you adjust rates based on order size, distance, or timing.
The benefit extends beyond cost recovery: catering orders typically generate larger tips for delivery staff, which can help you maintain relationships with high-quality delivery providers.
4. Plan now, profit later
As the holiday season approaches, investing time now in your catering delivery strategy will pay dividends through Thanksgiving and beyond. By selecting the right mix of delivery partners, implementing efficient technology solutions, and structuring your delivery fees strategically, you can build a catering operation that maintains quality while protecting profits.
Use this peak season as your learning opportunity. The insights you gain during the Thanksgiving rush will help you optimize your approach for other high-volume periods throughout the year, from Christmas corporate events to Easter celebrations. Most importantly, you’ll develop a scalable system that turns catering delivery from a logistical challenge into a competitive advantage.
