When the pandemic hit, many restaurants in the Chattanooga area and around the nation went looking for ways to keep their businesses running. For many, that meant either adding or increasing their take-out and delivery options, especially as dine-in options were either curtailed or stopped altogether.
It helped many weather the storm.
But as consumers continue to show their desire for home delivery, restaurants are finding it comes at a price. From added costs related to packaging and third-party delivery services such as Uber Eats and Dinner Delivered – which can charge up to 30% of the menu cost – to stresses put on an already busy staff, it can add up.
But, consumers want it, so many are making it work.
Brad Emendorfer owns two Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafes in Chattanooga and one in Cleveland, Tennessee, and said he started experimenting with a third-party delivery option about eight years ago.