Your store is live on DoorDash. Now what? We know choosing which features, products, and services to implement next can feel overwhelming, so we’ve made it easier than ever. Keep reading to find out the best way to use your (very) limited time to potentially increase your sales on DoorDash.
4 Ways to move the needle in fall 2023
In the current turbulent market where restaurants have to navigate inflation, labor shortages, and an increased spike of COVID cases, DoorDash helps you grow with innovative strategies for higher sales. Here are some ways to cut costs and improve your restaurant’s performance:
1. Optimize your store operations
Have you seen your optimization score? Now live in your Merchant Portal, your optimization score helps gauge your store’s sales and growth potential on DoorDash. You can improve your score — and move towards reaching your full potential on DoorDash — by completing the actions recommended specifically for your store.
Next to your optimization score in the Merchant Portal, you’ll see a rating of “low,” “medium,” or “high.” This rating shows how your optimization score compares to the scores of similar restaurants in your area. The higher your rating, the more likely you are to see better sales.
2. Keep your Online Ordering live even during busy hours
Ever get so busy you need to pause your orders — but don’t want to pause them all? You can now pause DoorDash Marketplace orders, but leave your Online Ordering on, so you can continue to grow direct sales from your website and provide a great customer experience.
3. Create a Store Loyalty program
Store Loyalty helps you build stronger relationships with your customers by rewarding them for ordering more. The best part? There are no marketing charges or additional commission, and you get to choose the reward threshold and amount! For example, you could offer customers $5 off their next order when they spend $50. Log in to the Merchant Portal.
4. Plan your marketing strategy for upcoming holidays
Get the Restaurant Marketing Calendar and Toolkit to uncover fresh approaches for year-round sales growth and social media engagement. The following upcoming holidays should be kept in mind for marketing purposes:
September 25: National Food Service Employees Day + King’s Birthday (WA) 🎉
30 September: Friday Before AFL Grand Final (VIC) ⚽
October 1: International Coffee Day ☕
October 2: Labour Day (NSW, ACT & SA) + King’s Birthday (QLD) 🥂
October 9: International Beer & Pizza Day 🍕
October 20: International Chefs Day 🧑🍳
October 31: Halloween 🎃
November 1: World Vegan Day 🫑
Hear from our new Chief Restaurant Advisor
One of the aspects I’m most excited about is getting an inside look at how DoorDash makes decisions on behalf of its partners – and I’m not shying away from sharing what restaurant operators need.
Sometimes it can be lonely running a restaurant business, which is why it’s helpful to hear how other successful restaurant owners are tackling current issues facing the industry. That’s why we’re excited to announce Michael Solomonov — James Beard Award-winning chef, cookbook author, and restaurant group founder — has joined DoorDash to help us keep a pulse on what independent restaurants need today. As Chief Restaurant Advisor, he'll regularly meet with DoorDash leaders, employees, and local restaurateurs, host industry panels, attend strategy meetings, and provide feedback on potential new products and services.
