Why don't more fast food restaurants offer delivery? [moved from General Topics]

[ipsedixit]

The news that Burger King is starting home delivery in selected markets (DC and South Florida), got me thinking.

Why don't more fast food restaurants offer delivery?

Pizza places do it.

And Chinese take-out and delivery is almost synonymous with one another.

But beyond that, why don't other places offer it?

McDonald's, KFC, Wendy's, etc ... where art thou?

Is it because ... what?

Maybe because people like driving to buy burgers? But why doesn't that apply to pizza or Chinese food?

Maybe because pizza is easier to deliver? Surely not easier than burgers or Chinese food right?

Perhaps people don't like eating fast-food type pizza in a sit-down restaurant? But is the ambiance at McDonald's, Burger King or KFC all that much better? I can tell you it certainly is not at most mom-and-pop Chinese fast food places that deliver.

So, I ask again, why don't more fast food restaurants offer delivery?

What obvious reason am I missing?

[ferret]

Possibly because you can rationalize eating there if you're running errands or away from home but actually ordering in makes you confront your sorry dining choices?

[ipsedixit]

That applies equally I think to Chinese food, and even pizza really. Right?

[fourunder]

French fries don't travel well.....

[ipsedixit]

People used to say the same thing about pizzas, but they've sort of solved that problem with those heat insulated packs.

And, do things like Orange Chicken or egg rolls travel any better than french fries?

But I do agree that french fries do present a challenge.

[chowser]

Someone needs to invent a container for hot foods, especially fried ones where the steam can wreak havoc. The top should have that absorbable silcon gel or something to hold the steam. The bottom can be something like dried beans that have been microwaved to keep it hot. We order fries and onion rings from a local place and they're never good with all the sogginess (though we still keep ordering them).

[ipsedixit]

I vote for a portable deep-fat fryer.

Maybe Paula Deen can help us ... oh, nevermind.

[chowser]

Love the idea--an at your door frying service.

[ferret]

You need to start eating better quality Chinese food and pizza.

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

Well, where I live KFC and McDonalds deliver. Via motor scooter, in a high population density area.

My guess is that for places like McDonalds and KFC the drive through serves the same function - people can quickly get a meal for consumption at home. Pizza or Chinese food take time to prepare, so they are not well suited to a drive through. Therefore they have developed delivery to compete with other fast food options.

The other possibility is that meals like Chinese and pizza tend to be ordered for a group, and so involve a limited number of options, as you're ordering a meal to share. McDonalds tends to be ordered on the per person basis, which makes ordering for a group much more complicated.

[chowser]

It would be great if you could order online, like Five Guys or Chipotle. Why don't more fast food places give you that option?

[LeoLioness]

I would guess that it just hasn't been necessary in a lot of places. I can have a cheeseburger and fries delivered from any local sub shop already, so going out of my way for a BK burger doesn't make sense.

Also, is there a minimum cost per delivery? If you're just one person trying to make a $8 or $10 delivery minimum, that could get tricky.

[ipsedixit]

I think you're right. The total (lower?) price of the typical order for a McDonald's or KFC might be cost prohibitive as it relates to whether delivery would be cost effective.

[freia]

May have to do with the kind of fast food offered, and the price point.
Pizza is generally (not always) but generally associated with being a party food. You have a bunch of friends over, you order pizza that is shared.
Chinese food is also eaten "en masse" so to speak -- usually you order Chinese as a number of dishes to be shared en masse.
Burgers tend to be ordered and eaten as individual menu items, so getting a big order together for 5 or 6 people may take more time to assemble and put out to a driver than the food margin for profitability is worth. And because these are low cost items (value meal 4 bucks for example) it probably wouldn't make sense to pay for delivery -- paying a 5 dollar delivery charge on a 5 dollar order or 10 dollar order probably wouldn't fly, especially since the burger joints are ubiquitous and accessible on your way home.
Maybe another factor is the "fresh made" factor -- pizzas take time to bake and are made to order, they don't have stacks hanging around so it's a pain to sit in a pizza joint to wait for takeout. Easier to sit at home and wait for it. And you'll pay a premium for it (tips add up!) If you want burgers you can stop in and grab dinner at a drive thru, the volume is so fast and they're so cheap, so to wait for it to be delivered and pay a premium doesn't make alot of sense.
As for fried chicken, well, you can stop in and grab a bucket or whatever really quickly as its ready and made, unlike pizza. And the thought process might be to get it home quickly so it stays crispy and hot, which is something that you don't get if you order it delivered.
There are ways to get stuff delivered, though, through any number of delivery services that will deliver whatever you like to your door. I think maybe people don't use them if the price of the meal is so low that any additional cost for delivery doesn't make financial sense for the customer. And a business won't offer this service if it doesn't make financial sense for them, because if it did, they would offer it! Probably in the business sense, the profit margin on the burger meal is so low that to add the cost of delivery wouldn't make sense.

[porker]

I don't think there are any "technical" or "ethical" reasons that its not done, ie. fast food meant to be in a sit-down environment, packaging, quality of food after delivery, etc etc.
Many mom and pop places make the same stuff (hamburgers, fried chicken, nuggets) and do deliver.
I think its simply a corporate decision.
Which would lead to the next question - why do they decide NOT to deliver. Part of this may be the bottom line. If they have to carry X amount of extra costs (delivery person, delivery costs, phone service, perhaps packaging) for a limited return of Y, it may simply not be worth it. The added return compared to overall sales might be low.

[lunchslut]

Because we North Americans are fat enough and don't need even easier access to unhealthy foods. It is a natural selection thing ;)

[porker]

Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons restaurant offers delivery service {;-/)

[LeoLioness]

Fair enough, but have you looked at the menus of the average American-Chinese place or sub shop?

[Roland Parker]

Most fast food places in Dubai deliver. McDonalds is the only that doesn't from what I can gather. And everyone complains the fast food arrives cold and not as tasty as consuming it at the restaurant. Fast food isn't something that is easily reheated in a microwave without changing the texture and flavors.

Places where fast food delivers do so probably because it's the expected norm and the newly opening fast food chains had to compete with an existing culture of cheap and tasty food deliveries (for all the talk about Americans eating out too often, people in the Middle East and Asia have a much longer and even more popular tradition of street food, corner restaurants and takeaway places). In the US I'm sure quality control has a lot to do with the decision not to provide delivery services. A busy pizza restaurant can send a delivery boy out with six different pizza orders and have the pizza arrive at all six locations still fairly hot and fresh. But imagine what it would be like for a McDonalds delivery boy with six different orders - think of all the sodas going lukewarm and fries turning cold.

[porker]

Burger king is trying delivery on a trial basis
http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-f...

[Sooeygun]

KFC delivers in Toronto. But not to me. The location that served my address closed so I'm currently in a black hole of KFC delivery.

[smartie]

I just wish supermarkets delivered!

[freia]

The do! At least, some do! Where I used to live, in Ottawa, the local supermarket (not a high end one, just a plain old chain supermarket) would deliver your groceries to your door for free if the total bill was over 20 dollars. Which isn't hard to do this day and age. I used to walk to the grocery store, shop, then go for breakfast with DH, then get home just in time to answer the doorbell and receive my groceries. Highly highly civilized, IMHO! :)

[Daniel76]

I think it might be because if you are too lazy to go walk and get yourself that disgusting mess, you should not be eating it. Plus, if you put those fries in a paper bag and let them sit, well you might as well toss them in the garbage anyway.

[ipsedixit]

How is that any different from people buying it to-go?

[freia]

Because they eat in the car unless they're within a couple of minutes of home? And there usually is a fast food joint within a few minutes drive this day and age. If there isn't, you'll dive into the bag while you're driving to eat the fries before they get soggy.

[Sooeygun]

"How is that any different from people buying it to-go?"

Agreed. Also, how different from all the places that do deliver and have fries on their menu. If I take out fries to take home or have them delivered, Mr. S has the oven on ready for my arrival and the fries get crisped up while I'm changing out of my work clothes and settling in for the evening.

[porker]

I can understand you joking about the disgusting mess etc etc.
But I don't know so much about throwing away delivery fries. OK, the experience and quality of eating at a restaurant (fast food or otherwise) is very different from having it delivered. It doesn't mean its garbage. Like I said above, there are other fast food places besides McD/BK/Wendys etc. In fact, there are millions of mom and pop or independants that serve pretty much the same food and make their bread and butter on delivery...

I believe it is a viable market (delivery) and I don't think places refuse to deliver on quality alone.

[rasputina]

I don't want to eat wilted lettuce on my burger and soggy french fries, which is what you'd end up with waiting for the delivery guy to show up.

[ipsedixit]

I get that when I order *in* at most fast-food burger places.

[porker]

But as previously mentioned, whats the difference between pick-up/eat at home and delivery? As for worrying about quality after delivery (wilted lettuce, soggy fries, etc etc), I think there are maybe 6 people in North America with such fears stopping them from ordering delivery food. The remaining people (over 40 million) have no such qualms and order with abandon. Wilted lettuce? So what. Soggy fries? Who cares.

They just can't order from most BK/Wendys/McD.