July 3, 2025
Food delivery is a lifeline for many restaurants. In fact, revenue from Online Food Delivery is projected to reach CAD1.89 trillion (US$1.39 trillion) by 2025. This surge is driven by changing consumer behaviors, technological advancements, and the increasing demand for convenience.
Restaurants are quickly realizing the value of adopting food delivery apps to streamline their operations, reduce overhead, and boost profitability. But with so many options available, how can you determine which is the best food delivery app for your restaurant?
Don't worry—we've got your back. This guide discusses everything you need to know about choosing a food delivery app in 2025.
The food delivery sector continues its remarkable expansion, becoming an indispensable part of the restaurant industry. Food Delivery Revenue is projected to reach CAD2.99 trillion (US$2.02 trillion) by 2030, showing an impressive annual growth rate of 7.64% from 2025.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online food delivery services. With lockdowns and social distancing measures in place, consumers turned to delivery apps as a safe and convenient alternative to dining out. This change in behavior has had lasting effects, with many still preferring food delivery even as restrictions eased.
For restaurants, this means that embracing food delivery apps is no longer just an option; it's a fundamental requirement to meet modern consumer demand and secure a share of this booming market.
But what are the key features to look for in a food delivery app? Let’s find out.
When choosing a food delivery app for your restaurant, it's crucial to select one that meets your operational needs while maximizing customer satisfaction and profitability.
Here are the key features you need to consider while choosing a food delivery app for your restaurant.
Third-party platforms often charge commissions of 15-30%, which can significantly reduce your profit margins. A commission-free approach means that every dollar a customer spends goes directly to your restaurant, helping you retain more of your earnings.
By avoiding high commission fees, you can reinvest savings into your restaurant's growth, offering better deals to customers and improving the quality of your service.
Delivery is vital for many restaurants. The best apps offer flexible delivery solutions that allow you to work with third-party logistics partners (like DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct for delivery-only services) or manage your own fleet, all while maintaining brand control.
More delivery options mean reaching a broader customer base, and maintaining brand consistency boosts customer loyalty and trust.
Acquiring new customers is important, but retaining them is even more critical. Loyal customers are more likely to reorder and become brand advocates. Retention tools like loyalty programs, discounts, and personalized offers help keep customers engaged.
These tools help you keep customers coming back and encourage them to spend more with personalized offers, resulting in higher lifetime value (LTV).
Integrating the food delivery app with your POS system automates order processing, reducing manual entry and errors. It speeds up order flow, especially during peak times.
Improved efficiency leads to quicker service and fewer mistakes, resulting in better customer satisfaction and faster turnover.
Data is among the most valuable assets in modern businesses. The right app should deliver detailed customer insights, including order history, average spending, and purchase frequency. This data can help you craft targeted marketing campaigns, refine menu items, and better understand consumer behavior.
By utilizing data insights, you can make smarter business decisions, optimize marketing campaigns, and personalize your services, ultimately improving operational efficiency and increasing customer satisfaction.
The pricing structure of the app you select directly affects your restaurant's profits. Some apps charge per transaction, while others have flat monthly fees or percentage-based commissions. The pricing model should align with your business's revenue objectives.
The right pricing structure ensures you're not overpaying for services and allows you to plan your budget effectively, saving you money and improving profitability.
Customer satisfaction goes beyond just ordering food; it's also about the food arriving in perfect condition and the overall delivery experience. The best food delivery apps provide robust tools for restaurants to gather insights directly from customers about food quality and delivery performance.
By actively collecting and analyzing customer feedback and addressing complaints promptly, you can maintain a high level of customer satisfaction, which leads to repeat orders and positive reviews.
A smooth, intuitive user interface (UI) is crucial for both restaurant staff and customers. An app that is easy to navigate reduces the chances of errors, increases the speed of processing orders, and makes the entire experience more pleasant for the customer.
A seamless app experience leads to faster order processing, happier customers, and fewer errors, ultimately improving both operational efficiency and customer retention.
With these essential features in mind, let's examine the leading food delivery apps available in Canada in 2025 and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.
As of 2025, the Canadian food delivery landscape is dominated by a few key players, each offering unique features tailored to diverse consumer needs.
Here's an overview of the leading food delivery apps.
Uber Eats is a globally recognized food delivery service, widely popular for its vast network of restaurants and quick service. Postmates, acquired by Uber Eats, provides a broader range of services, including deliveries from retail stores and other non-restaurant businesses.
Commission Structure:
Uber Eats and Postmates operate on a percentage-based commission model, with fees ranging from 15% to 30%, depending on location and restaurant partnership.
Pros:
Cons:
DoorDash is known for its fast delivery service and large reach across North America. It partners with restaurants to offer efficient delivery solutions while providing consumers with easy-to-use interfaces and timely service.
Commission Structure: DoorDash typically charges a commission-based fee between 15% and 30%, similar to Uber Eats. Depending on the partnership, flat-fee delivery rates are also available.
Pros:
Cons:
SkipTheDishes is a Canadian food delivery app that is highly popular in urban areas across the country. It is owned by Just Eat Takeaway and offers a strong local presence, focusing on delivering from local restaurants and major chains.
Commission Structure: SkipTheDishes operates on a percentage-based commission model, typically ranging from 15% to 20%.
Pros:
Cons:
Toast Takeout is an integrated POS and online ordering system designed to streamline restaurant operations. Unlike other apps, Toast focuses on providing an all-in-one solution for restaurants, including delivery, ordering, and payment processing.
Commission Structure: Toast Takeout charges a flat fee for its services, making it an appealing option for restaurants looking for predictable costs.
Pros:
Cons:
Chownow is focused on serving independent restaurants with a commission-free platform. It helps restaurants build their own branded online ordering system, allowing them to manage orders and customer data directly.
Commission Structure: Chownow charges a low flat-fee structure compared to commission-based models used by other apps.
Pros:
Cons:
Delivery.com offers various services, including food, alcohol, and grocery delivery. The platform allows restaurants to customize their offerings and provide an integrated solution for customers.
Commission Structure: Delivery.com operates on a subscription-based model, with a fixed fee for restaurants using its platform.
Pros:
Cons:
Relying solely on these platforms can limit your restaurant's control and profitability. For a more empowering and sustainable solution, it's time to consider platforms designed with your success in mind, like iOrders.
Given the evolving food delivery landscape and the significant limitations posed by many consumer-facing aggregator platforms, particularly their high commissions, limited brand control, and restricted customer data ownership, selecting a solution that truly empowers your restaurant is crucial for sustainable growth.
iOrders offers a distinct, restaurant-first approach, specifically designed to help you meet modern consumer demands while retaining full control, maximizing profitability, and fostering direct customer relationships.
Here's why iOrders stands out as the smarter choice for restaurants in 2025:
Maintaining a strong brand presence is crucial in a crowded market. iOrders offers white-label solutions, allowing restaurants to maintain full control over their branding with a custom mobile app and website.
Customers engage directly with your restaurant's branded experience, rather than third-party delivery services, enhancing brand recognition and loyalty.
High commissions charged by third-party platforms can severely impact restaurant profits. iOrders Ordering Platform operates with a commission-free model, enabling restaurants to keep more of their revenue.
By eliminating third-party commissions, iOrders helps restaurants retain up to 15-30% more profit per order, which can be reinvested into the business for growth and innovation.
Restaurants that own customer data can build stronger relationships. iOrders allows restaurants to collect and manage customer data, providing insights to personalize marketing efforts.
Engage with your customers through targeted promotions, loyalty programs, and direct communication to foster repeat business and improve customer retention.
Managing multiple apps and platforms can lead to confusion and errors. iOrders centralizes your orders, from pickup to delivery and dine-in, into a single dashboard.
Streamlining order management reduces mistakes, speeds up service, and allows restaurant staff to focus on providing an exceptional dining experience.
Consistency across ordering platforms is vital for maintaining a clear brand image. iOrders enables restaurants to update their menus in real time on their website and app.
Quickly update prices, add new items, or modify menu descriptions without the hassle of adjusting settings across multiple platforms.
Custom app development can be costly and time-consuming. iOrders provides a ready-to-use solution that's customizable to suit your restaurant's needs, reducing the need for expensive tech development.
Restaurants can save significantly on tech development and maintenance costs while still offering a fully branded and efficient ordering platform.
The food delivery industry is rapidly evolving, driven by innovations responding to changing demands. Here are the key trends shaping 2025.
With increasing environmental concerns, consumers are becoming more aware of sustainability. In response, restaurants and delivery services are adopting eco-friendly packaging to reduce waste and minimize their environmental impact.
This trend supports environmental goals and appeals to eco-conscious customers who prefer brands that align with their values.
Drone deliveries have the potential to revolutionize the speed and efficiency of food delivery services. By bypassing traffic and delivering orders directly to customers, drones could dramatically reduce delivery times.
Drones promise to reduce delivery costs, improve efficiency, and provide faster service, especially in congested urban areas.
Similar to drones, autonomous delivery robots are gaining popularity for last-mile deliveries. These robots can navigate sidewalks and deliver orders directly to customers, reducing human labor costs and increasing operational efficiency.
These robots will not only provide faster and more reliable deliveries but also contribute to lower operational costs for restaurants, making delivery services more affordable.
Ensuring food quality during delivery is essential. Temperature-controlled packaging and delivery solutions are being developed to keep food fresh and safe until it reaches the customer.
These systems will ensure that food items like pizzas, burgers, or salads reach customers in perfect condition, improving customer satisfaction and reducing the likelihood of complaints or refunds.
As these trends continue to shape the industry, restaurants must adapt and utilize these advancements to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.
It's time to wrap up. Let's summarize the discussion and determine which food delivery app is better for your business.
The food delivery market presents immense opportunities for restaurants in 2025, making the choice of your delivery platform more critical than ever. While major apps provide reach, they often come with considerable drawbacks: high commissions that erode profits, and limited control over your brand and customer data. True success hinges on empowering your restaurant with a platform that prioritizes your profitability and direct customer relationships.
This is precisely where iOrders stands out as the comprehensive solution. By offering commission-free ordering, a branded online presence, centralized management, and powerful customer retention tools, iOrders allows you to capitalize on market growth while keeping more of your revenue and building lasting customer loyalty. It simplifies operations and puts your business firmly in control.
Ready to take charge of your restaurant's delivery system? Book a demo with iOrders today to learn how we can help you optimize your restaurant's operations and
drive greater success in 2025.
Restaurants can integrate AI into food delivery systems by using it for order prediction, route optimization, and personalized marketing. AI can also help analyze customer preferences and improve delivery speed, resulting in better service and higher customer satisfaction.
Robotic deliveries offer benefits like faster delivery times, lower costs, and reduced human interaction. They are particularly useful for small, light deliveries in urban areas, offering a contactless and efficient alternative to traditional delivery methods.
Restaurants can use insulated packaging, temperature-controlled systems, and timely delivery schedules to ensure food quality. Additionally, real-time tracking and delivery monitoring can help manage the quality throughout the delivery process.
To improve customer retention, iOrders provides loyalty programs, targeted smart promotions, and data-driven insights. These tools help you engage customers and encourage repeat business, ultimately boosting customer lifetime value (LTV).
