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.
US consumers continue to opt for delivery and pickup
18%
growth in same-store orders on DoorDash Marketplace
(FY 22 vs FY 21)
18%
growth in same-store delivery orders on DoorDash Marketplace
(FY 22 vs FY 21)
12%
growth in same-store pickup orders on DoorDash Marketplace
(FY 22 vs 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:
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?
2
Grillin’ and chillin’
Barbecues are a national pastime, so it makes sense that burgers made the top five two years running.
3
Taco takeover
Tacos were the third most-ordered food across US consumers. Do you prefer flour or corn tortillas?
4
Everything's coming up salad
Salad made the top five for the first time this year since the survey launched in 2021.
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.
Diners are ready for new and growing local restaurants
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.
Familiar favorites
When ordering food delivery or takeout, 55% of consumers choose a restaurant they visit often.
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.
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.
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.
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%.
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
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.