Your menu is what sets you apart from the competition and helps you attract customers and make sales. According to our 2024 Restaurant Online Ordering Trends Report, menu selection (55%) and menu pricing (50%) are the top two things consumers look for when trying a new restaurant for delivery or pickup. You could drive more sales by giving your customers enticing, customized DoorDash menu options. Here’s how to make sure your menu is working as hard as you are.
Why is menu optimization important?
How you showcase your menu can dramatically increase the number of customers who choose to order from your restaurants and how many items they will order. In fact, menus with item photos saw an increase of up to 44% in monthly sales and those with item descriptions earn up to 18% more in sales each month.
What is the best way to create a menu for my restaurant?
You can edit your menu in the Merchant Portal, on your POS system, and on your Business Manager App. Taking a thoughtful approach to your menu design and employing the following menu-creator techniques can help increase sales and drive customer loyalty:
1. Organize your menu into categories
When it comes to ordering food online, customers want a menu that is easy to navigate and helps them decide what to order. One of the simplest ways to meet this need is to split your menu into categories, much like you would do on a printed or display menu. Here are some ideas:
Separate out appetizers, entrees, sides, drinks, and desserts into different sections
Organize your menu by type of cuisine — for example, sushi and Mexican
Add a highlight section for dishes for special dietary needs, such as Vegan, Gluten-Free, or Keto
Create categories recommending meals for certain situations, like Lunch for One, Dinner for Two, or Family Dinner for Four
DoorDash will also organize your menu with a category for Most Liked Items, which helps customers find trusted recommendations from locals at a glance, reducing decision fatigue when searching for what to eat.
DoorDash also includes category descriptions, which allow you to provide more details or context. Keep in mind that categories can also be easier to navigate on small smartphone screens, thus improving the experience of customers trying to order from you via their phone. Here’s how to organize a restaurant menu into categories.
To learn how to organize a restaurant menu into categories, head over to How to Add Menu Items and Descriptions.
2. Price menu items for conversion
Another important aspect of a menu is pricing. While some merchants may mark up their online menus as a strategy to compensate for other costs, we’ve found that merchants who mark up their menu prices can see up to 37% fewer sales and up to 78% lower reorder rates, based on a 2023 internal study of over 4500 small business restaurants on DoorDash during a four-week period.
Marked-up prices are one of the top customer complaints we receive — so it’s no surprise that they can discourage customers from ordering and decrease order volume. Below are actual reviews left by customers for restaurants with significant menu markups:
“Prices [are] higher than in store…Would have ordered every day if they were the same.”
“I love this restaurant. They are seriously up-charging from what they charge normally and I will never order from them...”
“Will not order ridiculous price increases.”
Read more about how consistent menu pricing maximizes visibility and volume on DoorDash here.
If you’re a DoorDash merchant and have questions about pricing, feel free to email us at menu-pricing@doordash.com.
To find out how to adjust your prices, head over to How to Edit Your DoorDash Menu Prices.
3. Attract hungry customers with photos
Menu photography can make or break a customer’s decision of where to order their meal. In fact, according to our 2024 Restaurant Online Ordering Trends Report, Consumers' reliance on food photos has increased 11% year over year, solidifying the importance of high-quality menu images.
DoorDash offers a complimentary menu photoshoot to help you showcase your menu. You can also check out these six tips for taking great menu photos to learn how to capture the deliciousness of your food on camera.
Once your photos are ready for upload, check out this step-by-step guide on how to add pictures.
“As a consumer, when I scroll through menus and something really catches my eye, that's what I'm going to order for dinner that night.”
4. Provide thorough descriptions
Your DoorDash customers don’t have one of your servers or staff members nearby to answer questions or tell them what’s special about a particular dish. That’s why it’s extra important to include thorough item descriptions throughout your menu. This isn’t surprising — if you had to choose between these two items, which would you pick?
Side Salad
Fresh mixed greens with local seasonal vegetables and your choice of housemade dressing.
Read How to Write Mouth-Watering Food Descriptions for Your Online Menu for more ways to make your delivery menu descriptions pop.
5. Add modifiers that sell
Not only do modifiers improve your customer experience, but they also give you an opportunity to increase ticket size. For example, according to our 2024 Restaurant Online Ordering Trends Report, french fries were the #1 top menu item ordered on DoorDash in the US in 2023.
Including modifiers on your menu — or options for customers to add to or change a specific item for an additional fee — is an excellent way to increase check size. There are a couple of different ways to incorporate modifiers into your menu:
The option to add a side, dessert, or drink to any entree
The ability to add toppings or other additions (like extra protein) to items like salads, bowls, burgers
Multiple size options to choose from
Multiple spice levels to choose from (e.g. hot, medium, mild)
6. Stand out with store branding
Your store’s branding—particularly your logo and header photo—is the first thing customers see when they look at your menu.
Adding your logo and a header photo is a great way to stand out and put your best foot forward. According to our April–June 2022 DoorDash study, menus with header images and logos get up to 50% (header) and 23% (logo) more monthly sales than menus without these branding elements.
7. Create bundle packages for larger orders
If your customers are looking to order for a group, bundled options make their ordering experience much faster and less complicated. Whether it’s dinner for two, a full family-style meal for 6 or a package (like five pizzas for the price of four), bundles make life easier for customers and kitchens.
8. Think seasonally
People associate the change of seasons with different flavors and cuisines. In the colder months, customers often seek out warm, hearty dishes with a rich complexity of spices. In the summer, people lean toward lighter, brighter options, often with seasonal produce. Every season, look into what produce is available locally and how to incorporate those ingredients into new or existing menu items.
Check out DoorDash’s analysis of summer food trends, as well as winter menu ideas from restaurants on DoorDash.
9. Offer pre-packaged meals
Many people don’t have time to grocery shop or prepare meals, so pre-packaged breakfasts, lunches, or dinners that can be reserved and picked up ahead of time are a huge time saver. If you have the capacity, you can experiment with different options to see which your customers like best. Since these meals may be eaten over the course of a few days, it’s best to include items that keep and reheat well. Find more packaging inspiration by checking out Food Delivery Packaging and Container Tips for Restaurants.
10. Sell pantry staples and provisions
If you have popular specialty retail items — like sauces, salsas, pasta, and spices — consider offering them for purchase alongside your regular menu items. This is an easy way to reach more customers and potentially increase your revenue.
11. Offer alcohol
Adding alcohol to your DoorDash menu can increase the average check size. According to our 2024 Restaurant Online Ordering Trends Report, 39% of consumers say their preferred method for buying alcohol is using an app to get same-day delivery, even more so than going to the store. If you already serve alcohol in your restaurant and would like to add it to your DoorDash menu, visit the Merchant Portal or reach out to DoorDash Support directly.
Your DoorDash menu options are the best way to show your customers what you have to offer, from your unique recipes to your commitment to excellent service. A menu with high-quality photos, enticing meal descriptions, cohesive branding, and consistent pricing is a menu that will set you and your business apart — and set you up for success.
Ready to edit your menu? Learn How to Add Menu Items and Descriptions.
