The 2024 Restaurant & Alcohol Online Ordering Trends report features insights from a survey of 1,518 consumers across Canada, plus aggregate data from DoorDash. Every year, DoorDash takes an in-depth look at how consumer habits are changing and what they care about most when ordering food or alcohol for delivery or pickup.
In the report, you'll learn the latest restaurant and alcohol delivery trends. Plus, you'll find answers these questions and more:
How have overall dining activities changed?
What are Canadian consumers' current restaurant and alcohol ordering habits?
What are the latest pickup and delivery preferences?
What are the most popular foods, meals, drinks, and times to order pickup and delivery?
Read on for the top ten takeaways from the 2024 report, and learn how to apply these insights to provide a positive experience for off-premise customers.
Want more than a quick bite of the data? Dive into the details by downloading the full report.
How are Canadians eating and drinking in 2024?
Overall, Canadians continue to order meals and alcohol for pickup and delivery online. Around one in five Canadian consumers reports ordering more takeout and delivery compared to 2023. And 35% of consumers are ordering alcohol for delivery more often than last year.
Top 10 restaurant and alcohol online ordering trends in 2024
One of the most common themes that persists year over year among consumer food ordering preferences is convenience. For example, people love that with restaurant delivery, they don't have to leave the house, or even the couch — which is where most consumers (53%) eat their takeout. Gen Zers are most likely to order delivery because they didn't feel like going out (54%) and Millennials enjoy the convenience factor (59%).
On the whole, consumers in Canada have embraced online ordering and delivery as part of their lifestyle, placing repeat orders frequently and seeking out new places while they browse social media.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the 2024 Restaurant Online Ordering Trends Report.
1. 15% of Gen Zers eat their delivery food in bed.
For consumers, comfort is key when enjoying takeout or delivery at home. 53% of consumers overall eat their delivery food on the couch, followed by 38% who eat at a kitchen table. But when looking at generational breakdowns, 15% of Gen Zers most often eat delivery from the comfort of their… bed!
2. Menu photos and social media influences diners more than ever.
One third of consumers cite food photography as a factor in choosing a restaurant for delivery or pickup. 17% of consumers use restaurant social media channels and 13% turn to social media influencers when looking for new restaurants.
Of those who use social media to find new restaurants, Instagram is the most popular platform overall. 29% of Gen Zers prefer Instagram to discover restaurants, but TikTok is gaining prominence at 19%. For Millennials, the main social media sources for finding restaurants are Instagram (21%) followed by Facebook (17%).
Instagram is also more popular among women looking for new restaurants, with men preferring YouTube. The takeaway? Restaurant operators, it's time to work on your video content!
3. Many consumers say "no thanks" to doing the dishes.
Nearly half of consumers enjoy their delivery food directly from the takeout container. For convenience-focused Gen Z, that increases to 62% — while more than three-quarters of Baby Boomers (76%) prefer to use their own dishes and utensils.
Appeal to younger generations' eco-conscious leanings by investing in eco-friendly packaging. High-quality, leak-proof containers are a must for a positive delivery experience.
4. Food and alcohol delivery cut down the hassle of hosting.
More than one in five (22%) consumers order food delivery when they host at home, cutting down on kitchen time in favour of mingling with guests.
Hosting parties or celebrations is also the second-most popular reason consumers order alcohol delivery (after 48% who say they want to treat themselves).
In Canada, fewer consumers today have cars than in the past, so delivery helps eliminate a major hassle for hosts. 19% of shoppers cited the ease of not having to carry alcoholic beverages home as their top reason for ordering delivery.
5. Third-party apps are consumers' preferred way to browse for food and order delivery — a continued trend year over year.
When trying to decide on a restaurant to order delivery or takeout, more than half of consumers prefer to use a third-party platform like DoorDash. Third-party apps are also the top channel for online ordering, with 75% of diners ordering from these apps at least twice a month.
6. Diners still prefer to order from local restaurants.
Consistent with last year, more than a third of consumers actively seek out local restaurants with only one location in their area when ordering food for takeout or delivery. Of note – menu pricing is the #1 reason why consumers choose to try a new restaurant, and 60% of consumers choose restaurants they visit often when ordering delivery or takeout.
7. Ordering food from restaurants has become a weekly habit for many Canadians.
A third of consumers report ordering repeat restaurant delivery orders at least once a week.
For restaurant operators, a seamless online ordering experience helps to keep customers coming back. And tapping into the customer base of third-party apps like DoorDash can help restaurants reach new diners in their neighbourhood.
"We can increase sales and reach more customers with delivery systems. DoorDash will [help] increase our sales by having our presence on [their] platform."
8. Food delivery is a last-minute save consumers can rely on.
Nearly two-thirds of consumers report using delivery for last-minute needs in the past month.
These urgent orders are more common among men, with nearly 70% of men reporting a recent last-minute delivery compared to 63% of women. Across generations, Millennials (18%) and Gen Zers (19%) are more likely to order food in a pinch than Gen X (9%) or Baby Boomers (4%).
9. Off-peak hours continue to gain popularity for ordering food.
Orders unsurprisingly spike on DoorDash around lunch and dinner, but we've seen continued growth in late-night orders (12–5am), with a 36% increase year over year. Breakfast orders (5–11am) also saw a jump in popularity, growing by 45% year over year.
Small businesses can take advantage of these off-peak hours and find a new audience of potential customers beyond the lunch and dinner rush. Consider extending your hours for a month or two, and track whether the increase in sales justifies the additional staffing costs.
10. A special occasion or just a special treat? Consumers are ordering alcohol delivery to celebrate.
The top reason consumers order alcohol for delivery is to treat themselves. A large swath of consumers (36%) report that the reason they choose alcohol delivery is it allows them to shop from the comfort of their own home, with saving time (41%) and not having to leave their house at an inconvenient time (36%) as other top reasons to order alcohol for delivery.
This year, consumers are celebrating with whiskey (59%), beer (57%), and rum (50%), and there's a rising interest in low ABV and non-alcoholic drinks. Help customers get in the spirit by offering gift packages curated for special occasions like holidays, graduations, and anniversaries.
10 Key online ordering trends in Québec
In addition to surveying the general population, we looked at ordering trends in a survey of 725 Canadians from Québec — here are the top ten takeaways.
Consumers in Québec seek convenience — 60% of Quebecers are ordering delivery the same or more often as last year.
For many consumers in Québec, ordering delivery from restaurants is part of the routine — 49% ordered food delivery using third-party apps two to four times in the past month.
Like the general Canadian population, menu pricing is the top consideration when choosing a restaurant (55%) — though for Quebecers, promotions and discounts (49%) are a close second, on par with friends and family recommendations (49%) and menu selection (49%).
Third-party apps are #1 preferred method for Quebecers ordering delivery (36%) and pickup (41%).
Among Quebecers, 23% prefer ordering alcohol delivery via third-party apps.
84% of Quebecers report ordering alcohol for delivery about the same or more as they did last year.
Compared to other Canadians, respondents in Québec order more wine and champagne for delivery (55% of Quebecers vs. 43% of the general population).
Like the general population of Canadians, seven in 10 Quebecers report that they've dined out at a restaurant in the past month — but for this audience, it's up significantly from only 62% in 2023.
23% of Quebecers cite avoiding bad weather as a reason to choose alcohol delivery (versus 19% for the general Canadian population).
When asked what motivates them to try a new menu item for delivery, 47% of Quebecers say they want to explore new cuisines, 43% say the price is right, and 38% want to treat themselves.
Most respondents report ordering delivery at least a few times per month, primarily because they didn't feel like going out, for the convenience factor, and because they were too busy to pick it up themselves.
Get even more consumer dining and ordering trends and tips for the year ahead
Download the 2024 Restaurant and Alcohol Online Ordering Trends report and use the insights on delivery and pickup to take your guest experiences to the next level.
Must be 19+ to order alcohol, except where 18+ is permissible in Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec. Drink responsibly. Alcohol delivery available only in select markets.
