3 ways to effectively balance digital tools with the food and service your customers love
Until recently, restaurants operated with a simple formula: stock up, serve fast, and keep loyal customers coming back. Fast forward to 2025, and restaurant consumers still expect traditional service … but with 21st century conveniences.
Today’s food service market is shaped by technology, speed and strategic adaptability. But as we wrote previously, despite digital conveniences, the majority of consumers still value direct interaction with their favorite eateries.
QSRs, fast-casual chains and family-owned neighborhood spots can balance old- and new-school technology, meet customer demands and maximize profits by understanding three key factors impacting the industry:
- Mobile delivery apps
- “Ghost” Kitchens
- Supply Chain management
1… The Mobile Delivery Dilemma: Convenience vs. Control
As we previously wrote, mobile delivery apps have reshaped customer expectations around food access. The appeal is undeniable: tap, order, eat. But for restaurants, the relationship with this technology seems to be love-hate.
The benefits of these technologies for restaurants are real, including expanding customer reach without new locations, lower overhead (especially ideal for ghost kitchens and hybrid service models), and – last but certainly not least – data from delivery analytics to better understand and adjust to buying habits.
On the other hand, restaurants must weigh the drawbacks that come with the convenience of some delivery apps, including:
- Hefty commission fees – (15–30%) that strain thin margins
- Loss of brand control – For example, when your customers look up your restaurant, 3rd party apps may tell them about other places they might like as well
- That coveted customer data goes first to the platform, not the restaurant
- Sharing ad space with other brands
Despite the ubiquity of mobile delivery apps, you’re still on your turf. The vast majority of restaurants are small, locally owned eateries. They will always have the advantage of proximity to their customers. Therefore, use what you can control when working with the delivery technology. Here are a few ways to exploit your local advantage.
- Encourage direct ordering via flyers, bag stuffers like coupons or carry-out menus, and QR codes that take customers directly to your website or your app.
- When advertising on delivery apps, use strong branding, exclusive menu items or promotions to make your listing standout from others.
- Use technology you own, like your social media to post daily or weekly “call-ahead specials.”Many platforms offer geo-targeting for paid and unpaid organic content – though the latter may require more effort.
- Team up with your non-foodservice neighbors like gyms, barbers or boutiques to exchange flyers or exclusive carryout or delivery promotions.
2…Technology in the Kitchen
Ghost kitchens, once seen as a temporary response to lock downs, have matured into strategic tools with the help of new restaurant tech. Technology has transformed ghost kitchens into well-oiled machines, allowing legacy QSR brands, single-location and single-neighborhood eateries to expand into new territory from one shared kitchen.
Third-party aggregator management platforms like Otter or Cuboh centralize and streamline the entire ordering process across multiple delivery platforms—essential for kitchens that don’t have a dine-in operation or direct customer interaction.
Benefits of such aggregator platforms can be game-changing, including:
- Consolidating multiple delivery app orders together in one place
- Preventing missed orders due to dashboard overload
- Reducing staff confusion and manual entry errors
- Enabling faster and more accurate fulfillment
3…Supply Chain Resilience Is Now the New Standard
Uncertainty around global logistics, tariffs and sourcing has pushed restaurateurs to rethink their supply strategies. As a result, “Buy Local” is no longer a feel-good slogan but becoming a necessity. Identifying and strengthening relationships with local and regional suppliers can offer more predictability and faster turnaround.
Modern technology integrations like the AI-powered inventory automation software MarketMan and other demand forecasting tools are useful in helping restaurants maintain better control over fluctuating supply levels. Restaurants can especially benefit from today’s inventory planning software that integrates with POS systems to minimize food waste and reduce order lead times. For instance, Toast, a popular restaurant management platform, offers real-time inventory tracking and automated reordering by syncing with POS sales data.
Sometimes, however, low-tech, old fashioned relationships can be employed to ensure continuity and combat supply uncertainty. For example, forming multi-supplier partnerships can reduce vulnerability to disruptions and price volatility. Perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, fast-casual chains like Chipotle Mexican Grill have adopted a multi-supplier strategy for key ingredients like avocados and meats, sourcing from several suppliers across different regions.
Don’t think that only the major national chains enjoy this advantage. Local independents can strengthen their purchasing power by forming a cooperative buying group with other nearby establishments. By banding together, these restaurants aggregate their orders for common supplies to meet vendor volume thresholds that are typically reserved for large chains—unlocking access to bulk discounts, lower delivery fees, and more favorable payment terms. This grassroots approach not only helps small restaurants stay competitive, but also fosters a sense of local solidarity— epitomizing the phrase “Buy Local.”
Don’t Just Deliver—Delight
In 2025, it’s not enough to “keep up.” The restaurants that thrive across all formats are the ones that balance convenience with connection, and technology with trust. After all, hospitality is still and hands-on business.
You’ve mastered the art of great food and exceptional service—let the competitive strategy experts at Dorsey & Company bring clarity to your technology choices and align them with your business goals.
Schedule a free consultation today.