We’ve made a number of updates in the past year to help you succeed in 2024. In this article, you’ll learn ways to use these features–as well as some new initiatives–to inform and improve your 2023 strategy. Here is a list of eight features and programs you can use this year to potentially increase restaurant profits.
1. How should you price your menu for delivery?
To help you assess how your pricing could impact your sales, we’ve made a visualization tool, available in the Merchant Portal. This tool compares the prices on your in-store menu with your DoorDash menu to calculate if the prices are the same and calculate a markup rate. Looking at your markup rate compared to aggregated pricing data, we can estimate how your current markup could impact sales. Factors including macroeconomic trends and consumer preferences may also impact projections, which are not guaranteed.
Head over to How Menu Pricing Could Impact Your Sales to find out how to access this tool.
2. Improved access to payouts and financial data
We’ve made it easy to reconcile your bookkeeping both inside and outside of the Merchant Portal. This helps you review your DoorDash monthly statement and DoorDash payout, and identify opportunities to improve your financial performance, as well as how much of your revenue is going to taxes, commissions, and more.
Find out more about your financial reporting tools in How to Understand Your DoorDash Payout and Monthly Statement.
3. Get an ADP discount right in time for tax season
DoorDash and ADP have teamed up to offer DoorDash partners a 30% discount on payroll, tax compliance, and HR solution RUN Powered by ADP®. Learn how paying tips through payroll helps restaurants streamline operations, reduces risks, and ensures compliance with tipping rules. Check out Why Restaurant Owners Should Be Paying Tips Through Payroll to learn more.
4. Apply for a grant from the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund
If your restaurant has been affected by a declared natural disaster in the last 12 months, you can apply to be considered for a $10,000 grant from DoorDash, Hello Alice, and Global Entrepreneurship Network.
To be considered for the grant, your restaurant must have:
A brick & mortar location
No more than three total locations
50 or fewer employees per location
Been open for at least six months
Revenues of $3M or less per location in the last 12 months
Located in United States, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Australia, or Canada
Been impacted by an eligible state or federally-declared natural disaster, including but not limited to wildfires, hurricanes, and earthquakes
Applications must be submitted within 12 months of the declared disaster. Grants can be used to cover expenses directly related to an eligible disaster.
Head over to the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund page to apply.
5. Build a better future with DashRoots
DashRoots is an advocacy network that empowers local voices across the communities we serve. From securing economic opportunities through flexible work, to empowering local businesses to grow, to investing in causes and efforts that give back to local communities, DashRoots brings together the collective voice of Dashers, merchants, and consumers to drive positive public policy outcomes.
Head over to the DashRoots sign up page to join.
6. Make the most of upcoming holidays
Download the 2024 Restaurant Marketing Calendar and Toolkit to learn creative ways to drive sales and grow your social media following year-round. Click the links below for customized suggestions on how to market your restaurant:
7. An improved system for Change of Ownership
If your restaurant changes ownership, we have a streamlined process for transferring your DoorDash store to the new owner. This process will allow the new owners to keep the original Store ID, all the reviews, menus, DoorDash in-app ranking, data and more and your store will continue appearing in your customers' order history. This way, the new owner can reopen the restaurant immediately after the ownership handover without having to build a restaurant profile from scratch.
Head over to How to Change the Owner of Your Restaurant on DoorDash to learn more.
8. Access ongoing advice via Instagram
You asked, and Michael Solomonov — James Beard Award-winning chef, cookbook author, and restaurant group founder — answered. In this episode we talk about the relationship between restaurateurs and their guests, and what the cost of goods, labor, and rent can look like in today’s restaurant business. You can watch this video on our DoorDash Instagram and also comment any questions you would like him to answer in the future. Make sure to keep checking our Instagram throughout the year for additional ideas.
As you test out your strategy, make sure to regularly review all the insights in the Merchant Portal to incorporate how they’ve been working and adjust as necessary. This could potentially help you increase restaurant profits through the new year.
Did DoorDash help your restaurant? Refer others near you!
If you know of small business restaurants (75 stores or fewer) in your area that aren’t on DoorDash, you can refer them and get a $1000 referral bonus when they sign up and complete 15 orders within 60 days. For more specifics, check out the Merchant Referral Program Terms & Conditions.
What more tips to increase restaurant profits? Start by improving your service by heading over to How To Improve the Food Delivery Customer Experience.
