DoorDash Ordering Trends: Diners Are Picking Local

Diners are increasingly turning online to get their favorite dishes with same-store pickup orders in the U.S. increasing 15 percent year over year and same-store delivery orders increasing 11 percent year over year, according to DoorDash's second annual Restaurant Online Ordering Trends Report which takes a deep dive into consumer online ordering preferences and emerging dining trends.

The report also shows that ordering delivery remains a consumer preference with 83 percent of consumers ordering delivery as much or more than they did last year and 86 percent reporting order takeout/pickup as much or more than last year.

The 2022 report shows diners are not creatures of habit:

• Consumers are swiping right on new restaurants and merchants with 60 percent of consumers having ordered from a new-to-them merchant in Q1’22 (compared to the merchants they ordered from in Q1’21).
• While Friday at 6 p.m. remains the most popular time to order delivery and pickup, more diners are waking up to the smell of breakfast at their door with a three-times increase in breakfast orders between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. on DoorDash (2021 vs. 2020).
• Consumers are adventurous when ordering for delivery or takeout. Only eight percent said they never try a new menu item while 92 percent will often or occasionally try new menu items.

• No meal is complete without the side dish! When it comes to menu categories, U.S. consumers added sides, beverages and appetizers to their cart the most so far in 2022. 
• Restaurants can benefit from offering online ordering on marketplaces and their direct websites and social media channels–37 percent of consumers prefer to order delivery through a third-party platform (up from 27 pecent last year). 38 percent prefer to order delivery directly from the restaurant (down from 43 percent last year). 

Consumers choose delivery over pickup for comfort and ease with 50 percent of consumers reporting ordering delivery is more convenient while 40 percent report they are just not so keen to go out. And when diners turn to online ordering, speed and support reign supreme with 69 percent of consumers reporting that the speed at which they receive their food and access to customer service were top deciding factors when deciding on their delivery method (ordering direct from the restaurant or from a third-party service).