August 16, 2023
Devn Ratz

The State of Food Ordering Online: Predictions for 2030

The seasoned restaurant owner knows business must be consistent. So, when there’s a shift in the direction of customer preferences, adjustments must be made. 

As the year draws on, do you sense a change in the way your customers look at recipes, orders, or offers? Is it sustainability in restaurants that’s important? Or perhaps shrinking the customer order cycle time?

This post gives you a brief look at the outlook for food ordering online, up to the year 2030, In short, the food ordering market expects to topple records in the restaurant industry—very soon. 

Titanic changes, like the skyrocketing instance of online ordering today versus four years ago, are often driven by technology. Here the paradigm is no different: only the most advanced in innovation will survive the constant shifts in sales, values, and loyalty. 

Find out what to expect from Revolution Ordering, the trusted online ordering software and a BlueCart company.

Key Takeaway: Driven by tech solutions, food ordering online projects itself into a $365 billion future as it continues to upend operations and prioritize experiences. 
Discover the sustained impact of using food ordering online with software integrations. Get the free eBook to learn how it’s done.

Markets & Trends: Introducing Food Ordering Online

In 2021, experts valued the food ordering market to be worth more than $100 billion. By the end of 2027, researchers largely estimate that the restaurant delivery market will be valued around $220 billion. The industry shows an 11 percent growth rate on average. This is not expected to change as we look ahead to the $365 billion slated for 2030. 

But, why is the online food ordering sector exploding so? For one, the growth drives itself through more in-depth engagement with labor-saving tech, the internet, and, of course, smartphone apps. Alongside these technological advancements and adoption, there has been the emergence of new business types to take advantage of swift consumer trends.

These sustained growth rates suggest that enterprise restaurant owners can tap into a fresh market, creating a strong demand for online food ordering. One way is to emphasize online food ordering as convenient and time-saving. At the same time, the process saves your restaurant on overhead expenses by cutting food waste, adding restaurant sustainability enhancements, and improving operational efficiency.

What to Know About Online Ordering Platforms

You’ll find a large range of features available in modern ordering platforms. For owners and customers, these systems are wonderfully intuitive, helping execute orders with the highest standard of efficiency and accuracy. 

Beyond this, online ordering software offers unified digital transformation methods. Partly, these ordering tools work best when integrated with POS systems to facilitate seamless ordering, pick-up, and reservations. Revolution Ordering was designed for this purpose.

Like other well-known platforms, Revolution Ordering streamlines restaurant operations while boosting overall customer experiences. When customers can review menus faster, order easier, and enjoy better—the restaurant wins through advanced online ordering systems.

Supported Predictions for Online Food Ordering

With a growth rate of nearly 11 percent, the online food ordering market has increased to new and incredible heights. Now worth well over $150 billion, the industry expects to continually support the revenues of restaurants. In the process, restaurants, though they’re traditionally less inclined to switch technology quickly, have been forced to adapt. 

Part of the reason is due to the COVID-19 pandemic which threatened many enterprise brands with extinction during lockdowns. However, new technologies such as voice ordering, text-to-order, chatbots, and self-order kiosks have helped them pull back the reigns.

Through food delivery management systems and automations, restaurants help themselves to better customer experiences and more efficiency during the food ordering cycle. Now past the pandemic, restaurants continue to innovate by adopting new technology such as cloud-POS integration. 

Mobile Advancement

In the past several years, a noteworthy tool for demand creation for restaurants has been the mobile app. Leaders like McDonald’s are giving customers more ways to pay and personalize their orders while maintaining the distance Gen Z and Millennials prefer. 

Beyond the development of loyalty programs and mobile applications, restaurants will also likely turn to even more automated ways to improve the ecosystem of restaurant or hospitality SaaS. For instance, by integrating with POS systems or reservation software, restaurants can cut time to delivery and enhance customer service with greater insight. 

Easier Ordering

As with any industry, the growth of a certain area often leads to even more opportunities to earn the trust and investment of new customers. Here, we have the chance to include self-ordering and tabletop ordering to help customers get satisfaction with speed.

These kiosks can help customers reduce their wait times. At the same time, the experience is enhanced with voice and text-to-order technology which helped fuel the ordering boom to start. When the ordering process is improved, restaurants see the numbers grow on the positivity of customer interactions through customer surveys and feedback.

Service Expansion

When you look at the total impact of food ordering online, enterprise restaurants have really risen to the occasion of forced convenience. By offering customers safer, faster deliveries with sustainable packaging, loyalty programs, and more—they grow. 

This also comes with operational benefits for the brand which inclines them to market new offers. The market of online food ordering is not only expected to grow over the next seven years; it will more than double by respected projections. 

As it grows in size and flavor, new kinds of dishes with new forms of dining will emerge to bring more enjoyment to customers’ doors. If you’re not sure where to expand service next, explore the world of sustainable technology for restaurants.

Find out how online ordering technology can fast-track your food ordering online sales. Demo Revolution Ordering today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Food Ordering Online

What is the fastest delivery service for food?

According to recently published reports, the fastest food delivery service, which averages 35 minutes and 30 seconds. Others that closely follow are Postmates with just over 40 minutes and DoorDash at 42 minutes. 

Considering that UberEats is also the cheapest on average, according to those same reviews of the industry data, it’s a clear customer favorite. However, enterprise restaurants should be wary of participating without proper integration into their platforms. The last thing an eatery needs is system, after system, after system.

Instead, speedy self-service apps like UberEats allow people to see the value of efficiency even when they are tasked with taking down the order themselves. 

Are food delivery services declining?

While the restaurant industry has faced several serious challenges as it scales to meet the demand of increasing online orders, it still has not declined. The industry sees rising food costs, staggering competition, and incredibly high fuel expenses—but despite this, food ordering online remains a profitable option for enterprise restaurants. 

At present, the current estimated growth rate is around 11 percent. While this is a reduced rate when compared to the rates of the pandemic, this is to be expected by the absence of lockdowns and emergency restriction. What we see now is the result of customers becoming comfortable with the notion and experience of food ordering online. 

And, in light of that, more than half of Americans report ordering a meal at least once per week, and many order multiple times each week for its definite convenience. Restaurants have clearly been successful at delivering satisfying experiences despite setbacks. 

What is the top food delivery company in the US?

The most popular food delivery service in the US is, according to new reports, DoorDash which holds a massive 65 percent market share on food ordering online. UberEats, the fastest delivery service, takes second with a share of 23 percent of US food orders. 

With such a hold on the market, it stands to reason that looking at DoorDash features would help restaurant owners see the essentials in the experience of online food ordering. For instance, custom menus, speedy delivery, clear communication, and instant updates for all parties are just some of those conditions. 

DoorDash and UberEats are favored among consumers for their convenience and speed. Without the ability to quickly, easily, and seamlessly receive orders to their door—customers are forced to engage channels that invite disruption and disorder, such as constantly ringing phone lines!