2023 Restaurant Online Ordering Trends

Explore a first look at the latest online ordering trends to help you develop a strategic restaurant business plan for the year ahead. Subscribe to be the first to get the full report when it’s released. 


Front of house bags for pickup

US consumers continue to opt for delivery and pickup

POS machine illustration

18%

growth in same-store orders on DoorDash Marketplace

(FY 22 vs FY 21)

Online shopping icon with DoorDash bag illustration

18%

growth in same-store delivery orders on DoorDash Marketplace

(FY 22 vs FY 21)

person illustration with a doordash delivery bag

12%

growth in same-store pickup orders on DoorDash Marketplace

(FY 22 vs FY 21)

Dining activities for consumers chart from DoorDash comparing FY 22 to FY 21

Over a third of US consumers are ordering restaurant delivery or takeout more often than last year

Consumers are still on the delivery train, enjoying the convenience and wide selection of stores. For many, it’s become a habit, and a part of the everyday routine.

Over the past year, cooking has also surged in popularity, for many reasons. Restaurants could consider creating meal kits, bundling items, or offering cooking classes to foster relationships with their communities. 

Just over a quarter of survey respondents shared that they are eating out at restaurants more than a year ago, while more than a third are ordering restaurant delivery and takeout more often now.

The most-ordered foods on DoorDash in 2022 are in:

Illustration of french fries

1

Fries, anyone?

French fries were the most-ordered item for the second year in a row. The only question — how to keep crispy for delivery?

Illustration of a hamburger

2

Grillin’ and chillin’

Barbecues are a national pastime, so it makes sense that burgers made the top five two years running.

Illustration of a beef taco with salsa

3

Taco takeover

Tacos were the third most-ordered food across US consumers. Do you prefer flour or corn tortillas?

Illustration of a colorful salad

4

Everything's coming up salad

Salad made the top five for the first time this year since the survey launched in 2021.

Illustration of a slice of pepperoni and green pepper pizza

5

Pizza party

This year, pizza joined the top five with tons of artisan and specialty pizza shops opening around the country.

Third-party apps are consumers’ preferred way to browse for food

In 2021, 15% of survey respondents began their food ordering journey with a third-party app.

In 2023, that number has more than doubled, with 34% of respondents sharing that they go to an app like DoorDash first.

Overall, 79% of respondents start to browse for food on an app or online. In 2023, restaurants need to have a strong digital presence to reach consumers.

How consumers decide where to order food chart with data from DoorDash

Diners are ready for new and growing local restaurants

  • DoorDash restaurant food bag illustration

    Something new?

    48% of customers ordered from a new store in Q1 2023 on DoorDash Marketplace compared to stores they ordered from in Q4 2022.

  • Badge

    Familiar favorites

    When ordering food delivery or takeout, 55% of consumers choose a restaurant they visit often.

  • Dollar sign illustration representing discounts

    Affordable options

    Menu pricing (51%) and menu selection (55%) are the top two things consumers look for when trying out a new restaurant for delivery, takeout, or pickup.

  • Person ordering food for delivery on their phone app

    Lovin’ the local flavor

    33% of respondents prefer to order from local restaurants with one location, and 18% like ordering from businesses with 2-10 locations in their area.

When do people order from restaurants?

Check out data from orders on DoorDash Marketplace in FY2022.

Most popular day of the week to order

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are the most popular days to order food from restaurants — people want to take a break on the weekend and treat themselves.

The most popular day of the week to order delivery according to a DoorDash online ordering survey

Most popular time of day

Similar to last year, the two most popular times to order food are lunchtime and dinnertime. The peaks are from 6–8 pm local time, and 11 am–1 pm.

Most popular time of day to order delivery according to DoorDash data

Fastest-growing meals of the day

The biggest jump this year was in early morning orders between 12 and 5 am, followed closely by breakfast orders between 5 and 11 am. Could it be related to the continued interest in remote work and flexible work schedules? Late night orders, between 9 and 12 pm, also jumped by 23%.

The fastest-growing meal of the day according to new DoorDash data.

Restaurant insights to grow your business

Subscribe to be the first to get the full restaurant industry trends report when it's released, with a deep dive on consumer ordering habits by generation and area. In the meantime, get caught up on last year’s trends.

  • Restaurant ordering, pickup, delivery, and dining preferences from a survey of 1,500+ consumers

  • Proprietary DoorDash data on delivery and pickup ordering

  • Most popular foods and cuisines that consumers order

  • New data-driven strategies for scaling your restaurant business

Delivery bag and ready-made food

The Restaurant Online Ordering Trends Report survey was conducted by Dynata on behalf of DoorDash between April 19 and April 28, 2023, surveying 1,525 US-based people from a variety of ages, careers, and income levels.