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Digital orders soar during pandemic

Provided

May 11, 2021

Restaurant delivery orders grew 124% between March 2020 and March 2021, according to The NPD Group, which found that digital orders for carry-out, which represented 62% of all digital orders, increased by 130%. Digital orders for delivery grew by 140%, holding 38% share of total restaurant digital orders.

"It's unlikely that digital ordering will grow at the same pace it has during the pandemic once restaurants fully open, but it's table stakes for restaurants now," David Portalatin, NPD food industry adviser and author of Eating Patterns in America, said in a company press release. "Digital ordering is all about elevated convenience and ease and that's what makes consumers tick."

Digital ordering offered full-service restaurants, which operated under varying degrees of mandated dine-in restrictions throughout the pandemic, much-needed support. Prior to the pandemic, full-service restaurants represented 10% share of digital orders, as of the year ending March 31, and the segment held 16% share and saw a 237% increase. Quick service digital orders, which represented the remaining 84% share, also realized triple-digit growth of 111%, according to NPD.

Restaurant apps and websites were the most-used channels for digital ordering, representing 62% of all digital orders. However, digital orders through third-party apps, like DoorDash or Uber Eats, grew by 207% compared to the +98% increase in digital orders through restaurant apps and websites.