Important Tips on Delivery Apps for Restaurant Owners: Practical Experience and Realistic Solutions from the Gulf Market

Have you ever felt that your restaurant’s experience with delivery apps is like navigating a road crowded with both opportunities and challenges? If you’re a restaurant owner in Saudi Arabia or the Gulf, you’re definitely following how delivery apps have changed the game in recent years. Today, 70% of food orders in Saudi Arabia go through these apps, and the question is no longer “Should I use them?” but rather “How do I get the most out of them?”

🍽️ Why Have Delivery Apps Become Essential for Your Restaurant?

Through my work with dozens of restaurants and food trucks in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, I’ve noticed that most restaurant owners—even the smallest—now see these apps as an integral part of their business model. One café owner in the Eastern Province once told me: “If app orders stopped for one day, I’d feel like the income disappeared!”

The numbers back this up: the food delivery market size in Saudi Arabia alone exceeded 10 billion SAR in 2023, and expectations point to ongoing growth by 2025 with more than 14 million active users. But this rapid growth doesn’t happen by chance—it’s driven by changes in customer behavior and expectations. Today, the customer wants an easy and fast experience, prefers electronic payment, and expects personalized offers.

📊 How Do You Deal with High Commission Fees?

One of the most common complaints I hear from restaurant owners is the high commissions of delivery apps, which can sometimes reach up to 30%. This challenge is real; I once discussed it with a burger restaurant owner in Riyadh who saw his profits evaporate with every bill. So what’s the solution?

• Focus on in-house orders: Encourage customers to order directly from your restaurant through exclusive offers or discounts. For example, some small restaurants offer “10% off for phone orders” or incentivize customers to order directly through the restaurant’s own app.
• Negotiate with the apps: You might not expect it, but many apps are willing to review commission rates, especially if you’re generating good sales numbers. Try contacting your account manager or propose a “long-term partnership contract” in exchange for a lower commission.
• Increase your average order value: If the commission is a fixed percentage, try to raise the average order by offering combos or adding tempting items within the app.

From market experience, the restaurant owners who succeeded in overcoming the commission issue are those who didn’t just complain, but instead created quick and practical solutions.

💡 How Do You Stand Out Amid Fierce Competition?

Let me be honest—the competition on delivery apps is extremely fierce. With hundreds of restaurants on the same app, how do you make your restaurant the customer’s first choice? Here, the small details play a starring role.

• Professional and attractive photos: Customers make their decisions within seconds, and good photos can increase orders by up to 30% according to Gulf market studies.
• Accurate and clear dish descriptions: Use simple, appetizing words that precisely describe the dish’s ingredients. Avoid generic phrases and focus on strengths, such as “charcoal-grilled chicken with oriental marinade.”
• Quick response to reviews: Personally engage with customer comments, especially negative ones. A personal experience: a shawarma restaurant in Jeddah raised its rating from 3.8 to 4.4 in just six months because it began responding professionally to every negative comment and offering small compensations to dissatisfied customers.
• Smart offers during peak times: Take advantage of slow periods by offering limited-time discounts or “buy one get one free” deals, especially midweek or after midnight.

Most importantly: monitor competitors and learn from them. If you notice a restaurant similar to yours achieving strong sales, keep an eye on their offers, photos, and customer communication—and keep improving yourself continuously.

📱 How Can You Benefit from AI Technologies and Modern Analytics?

In 2024, more than 40% of restaurants in the Gulf have already started using AI tools. Some may think these technologies are exclusive to large businesses, but the truth is even small restaurants can benefit.

• Chatbots for automated replies: You can link a smart chatbot to your social media accounts to instantly answer customer inquiries, such as order status or opening hours.
• Order data analysis: Use app data to know your most-ordered dishes and peak times. For example, if you notice “chicken kabsa” is most popular at night, offer a special deal at that time or boost your stock.
• Digital loyalty programs: Some apps allow you to launch points or digital rewards programs, encouraging customers to return and order from you specifically.

Personally, I observed how a small café in Dammam doubled its monthly orders after using simple app analytics: it discovered most orders came from a particular neighborhood, so it focused its ads there and offered free delivery exclusively for that area.

💰 How Do You Increase Profits and Achieve Sustainable Growth?

We’re all looking to increase profits, but the biggest challenge is doing so while maintaining service quality and not overburdening your team. Here are some practical tips that have proven effective for restaurants and food trucks in the Gulf market:

1. Simplify your menu: Reduce options and focus on your best-selling dishes. This cuts costs and speeds up preparation.
2. Control delivery times: If the app lets you set “preparation time,” be realistic and don’t overestimate, so you don’t lose customer trust.
3. Train your team on proper packaging: Poor packaging is a main cause of negative reviews. Invest in high-quality containers and train your team on proper sealing.
4. Monitor statistics regularly: Check app reports weekly. I noticed a restaurant in Mecca doubled its profits after discovering through reports that the “family meal” had the highest margin, so they boosted it with extra ads.

🏪 Is Total Reliance on Delivery Apps Suitable for All Restaurants?

Despite all the above, there’s an important truth: delivery apps are not the magic solution for everyone. Some classic or high-end restaurants, or those relying on a unique dine-in experience, may not find these apps the best channel. The golden advice here: Make delivery a part of your strategy, not the whole strategy.

Maintain your restaurant’s identity and in-house customer service, while also investing in delivery as an additional growth channel. Always ask yourself: how can I offer the customer an excellent experience, whether in the dining room or through the app?

📈 Future Outlook: Where Are Delivery Apps Heading in 2025?

Forecasts indicate continued growth, with new technologies like robot and drone deliveries, and increased collaboration between apps and restaurants to offer digital loyalty programs and deals. Also, electronic payment will become the norm rather than the exception, making transactions easier and increasing operational security.

My final advice: keep up with technological developments and be among the first to adopt what suits your restaurant’s size and local market. Experimentation and flexibility are the keys to lasting success in this ever-changing market.

⭐ Practical Expertise Summary

Delivery apps have opened new doors for your restaurant’s growth, but they have also brought challenges that require intelligence and skill to manage. Invest in improving your digital experience, manage your fees wisely, and be proactive in using modern technologies. Most importantly, remember that true success is built on understanding your customers’ needs and delivering a satisfying experience every time—whether through the app or inside the restaurant.

"At the end of the day, the most successful restaurants aren’t just those with the best menu, but those who know how to deliver taste and experience right to every customer’s doorstep—wherever they are."