Food delivery platforms have been an absolute lifesaver this year as many households have depended on delivery to get their meals in a safe and efficient way. Apps like DoorDash are constantly adjusting their offerings to keep their services in line with what people need, and the brand just announced they are introducing "self-delivery" so restaurants can use their own in-house delivery staff if they so choose.
Up until now, DoorDash hired their own delivery drivers to get orders from restaurants to customers. In an effort to continue supporting restaurants during these unprecedented times of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, self-delivery will help establishments increase their takeout sales while using their own staff members, a DoorDash blog post explained.
"Many restaurants have worked hard to build their own delivery offering, preferring to offer delivery in-house in order to better own the end-to-end customer experience or to create new opportunities for their existing staff," DoorDash Director & General Manager, Incumbents Zach Heerwagen wrote in the blog:
According to DoorDash data, an estimated 120,000 restaurants today offer in-house delivery, and with Self-Delivery, restaurants can continue to use their own fleets, create new opportunities for their employees, and benefit from the added visibility of the DoorDash platform.
To sign up for this new feature, restaurants just have to fill out this online form and wait for approval (which may take a couple weeks). From there, each establishment can set their own delivery zone and price customer delivery fees. The new service will also be able to work with the platform's already available DashPass, Pickup, and Drive features, so customers can find their favorite foods and order them on the app just as they would normally while supporting the restaurant's in-house staff.
