How to Get Your Restaurant on DoorDash

Getting your restaurant on third-party apps like DoorDash can be crucial to capture a broad market. Although the era of strict COVID-19 lockdowns has ended, many consumer habits will remain. One such habit is the popularity of online ordering.

From 2021 until 2023, the number of online food delivery app users is expected to increase by a whopping 60 million. Figuring out how to get your restaurant on platforms like DoorDash is no longer optional if you want your business to survive and thrive.

Let’s go into how to sign up for DoorDash as a restaurant and how to sell food on DoorDash successfully.

Why DoorDash?

Before the pandemic, 86% of diners ordered from food delivery apps at least once per month. There are no signs that this number will decline in the coming years. If anything, the frequency of orders will only increase.

DoorDash is one of the country's leading online food ordering apps, with over 816 million orders in 2020. In the first quarter of 2021 alone, the app saw $9.9 billion in revenue. Your restaurant should get a piece of this pie by getting onto the platform.

Food industry experts state that the long-term behavior of consumers will move more toward online ordering. The simplicity, convenience, and reliability of online food delivery will continue to change the face of the industry.

Knowing how to get your restaurant on DoorDash is the first step to fulfilling the demands of your clientele.

How Does DoorDash Work for Restaurants?

DoorDash is designed to be simple for both the customer and the restaurant. The ordering protocol ensures timely and efficient ordering and delivery. You have four options for taking advantage of the DoorDash protocol.

• Tablet – Use a tablet together with the DoorDash Order Management app. The tablet is by far the most popular order protocol option, as you can control your whole DoorDash presence from the app.
• Point of Sale Platform – Integrate DoorDash with your Revel Systems POS platform. Unlock the potential of DoorDash by integrating it directly into your POS system, where you can manage all your orders, your menu, and your finances.
• Email – Restaurant owners can receive all their orders by email, followed by an automated confirmation call to ensure you never miss an order. You will, however, need to keep a computer near your cash register.
• Fax – DoorDash is also compatible with fax. Like the email option, it also comes with a confirmation call to ensure you don’t miss out on customer orders.

Although the tablet option is the simplest way to manage the order protocol, POS integration is better because you can link your online ordering system with the other functions of your restaurant.

After receiving and confirming the order, it gets prepared, and a driver will come to collect it. All you have to do is be ready when someone wants to request a restaurant on DoorDash.

How to Get Your Restaurant on DoorDash

Diners find it easy to work out how to request a restaurant on DoorDash, but how does a restaurant get on DoorDash in the first place?

It’s easier than you think to request a restaurant on DoorDash. Securing your spot requires just a few simple steps.

Step One – Submit Your Merchant Application

Fill out DoorDash’s application form with some basic details about you and your business. There’s nothing complex here.

The platform will review most applications in one to three business days. If approved, you will receive a welcome email to start onboarding.

Step Two – Enter the Merchant Portal

Now that you know how to request a new restaurant on DoorDash, you can access the Merchant Portal. Your credentials will have been included with your welcome email.

Look on the left side, and you will see the various parts of building your restaurant listing, menu, and managing your financial/tax information.

Make sure you fill out every section to build up your DoorDash profile. It’s essential not just for your own affairs but also for your customers.

Step Three – Activate Your Restaurant

On the left-hand side of the Merchant Portal, you’ll also see a button to activate your restaurant. Click this button when you’re ready to start receiving orders. Your staff should be already trained in using the system before you go live.

Remember, third-party ordering apps are fast-paced. You should expect a driver to arrive in roughly 20 minutes of you confirming the receipt of an order.

If you cannot activate your store, the onboarding team may still be processing your DoorDash request restaurant application.

Tips for Successful DoorDash Delivery

After working out how to get your business on DoorDash, you’re in business and ready to start serving your customers online.

Figuring out how to put your business on DoorDash is only step one. Follow these tips to make the most out of online food ordering:

• Make sure you only feature dishes that are easy to transport. For example, cut the soup dishes and focus on pizza instead.
• Optimize your menu for delivery by scaling it down and featuring only those items that are both popular and profitable.
• Assign someone to keep an eye on new orders.
• Utilize DoorDash promotions to bolster your reach.
• Ensure a system for a smooth handoff to the delivery drivers.

Keep tabs on the performance of your online ordering system. There are always teething problems, but if you prep your staff well and ensure they’re adequately trained, you can avoid many of the pitfalls new restaurants face when transitioning to off-premises food services.

Why a POS Platform Helps with Successful DoorDash Deliveries

Investing in the right POS is a significant step for any restaurant looking to make the most of DoorDash. Revel Systems’ POS empowers you to streamline your operations and ensure no hitches when receiving and processing orders from the app.

To begin with, all DoorDash orders are automatically processed and input into your POS and marked accordingly. Guarantee that there’s no double handling of orders and that your staff knows exactly where they stand.

Orders are processed immediately, and restaurants can automate order confirmations in seconds, giving customers peace of mind that their food will arrive right on schedule.

The insights you gain from your POS also enable you to understand better what DoorDash customers want from your business. Harvesting deep insights from your POS’s reporting capabilities helps you make deliveries via third-party apps even more efficient.

Revel POS integrates the DoorDash app with the rest of your operations at the click of a button. Rather than adapting your business to deal with DoorDash, Revel handles everything for you to ensure no disruption to your existing operations.

A state-of-the-art POS is an asset to your business and provides a positive ROI. Make your third-party app deliveries well-organized and streamlined with a POS system that works to bring restaurants into the modern era of online food ordering.

Conclusion

Third-party apps like DoorDash are an essential cog in a profitable online ordering process. Make the most of them by registering your restaurant with these apps now.

Speed up the signup process and manage every aspect of your restaurant business with Revel’s market-leading restaurant POS.