How to Get DoorDash Orders: An End-to-End Guide

If you’re not already on food delivery platforms like DoorDash, you’re leaving money on the table. Platforms like DoorDash connect local restaurants to delivery drivers and hungry customers and provide tools to boost visibility and increase orders.  

This article walks you through everything from how to get your first DoorDash order to advanced strategies for scaling your business and maximizing your profits on DoorDash.

3 Steps to Set Up Your Restaurant on DoorDash 

Registering and setting up a restaurant profile on DoorDash is easy. Here are three steps to get you up and running:  

1. Register Your Restaurant: Sign up on the DoorDash Merchant Portal and provide essential details, such as your delivery area, menu, and operating hours. 
2. Add Details to Your Profile: Include high-quality images from your online menu, accurate information, and engaging descriptions. 
3. Set Up Your Payment: Link your preferred payment methods so that you get paid seamlessly.

Once you’ve done that, the next step is to optimize your restaurant listing to attract more customers. Here are three tips to keep in mind:  

1. Craft an Engaging Restaurant Profile: Write a compelling description highlighting your restaurant's unique selling points, such as cuisine type, specialty dishes, or your story. For example: "Authentic Mexican street food with a modern twist, crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients." 
2. Highlight Special Features: Mention if you offer vegan, gluten-free, or kid-friendly options in your profile to attract niche audiences. 
3. Leverage Tags and Categories: Choose relevant tags (e.g. “vegan,” “spicy,” “comfort food”) to appear in customer searches.

6 Tips to Optimize Your Menu for DoorDash Orders 

Now that you’ve got your profile up, the next step is to work on your menu. Here are six tips to help you design your DoorDash menu: 

1. Optimize Your Menu for Delivery: Focus on items that travel well and maintain quality during transit; avoid dishes prone to sogginess or spills like salads.  
2. Know What Customers Want: Consider adding high demand items to your menu that are frequently ordered on DoorDash. According to DoorDash’s report, the five most ordered foods on DoorDash in the US are French fries, chicken quesadillas, mozzarella sticks, garlic naan, and spicy chicken sandwiches. If these align with your restaurant’s offerings, add them to your menu to meet customer demand and make more money. 
3. Organize Menu Sections: Categorize items clearly (e.g., Appetizers, Main Courses, Desserts) to make browsing intuitive. 
4. Highlight Bestsellers and Specials: Use labels like “Popular”, “Chef’s Choice”, or “Limited Time Offer” to draw attention to key items. This produces more profit from popular dishes.  
5. Feature Add-Ons: Allow customers to customize orders by adding extra toppings, sides, or drinks. This increases average order value (AOV). 
6. Use Clear Descriptions: Detail ingredients and customization options to help customers feel confident when ordering. Instead of listing a dish as "Spaghetti Bolognese," describe it as "Spaghetti Bolognese: Al dente spaghetti topped with a rich, slow-simmered beef and tomato sauce, finished with parmesan and fresh basil." 

4 Strategies to Increase Visibility on DoorDash 

While DoorDash is a great way to get more customers, simply being on DoorDash doesn’t guarantee you business. Here are four strategies you can use to increase your visibility and get more orders on DoorDash:  

1. Optimize Your Delivery Area: Ensure your delivery radius covers areas with high customer demand (without overextending into zones that may cause delays).  
2. Leverage Promotions: Use DoorDash’s promotional tools, like discounts and featured listings, to gain more visibility. 
3. Participate in DoorDash-Sponsored Events: Look out for DoorDash initiatives like free delivery days or featured cuisine promotions (e.g. "Asian Food Week") and participate in these campaigns. These events often boost exposure to new customers. 
4. Encourage Reviews: Ask customers to leave feedback, as most customers rely on reviews to make decisions. To do this, include a courteous request for reviews on printed receipts or in delivery notes.

3 Ways to Leverage Promotions and Discounts 

Running promotions is a proven way to attract more DoorDash orders. Here are three promotions to try for your restaurant: 

1. First-Order Discounts: Offer a deal for first-time customers. Taking this approach with a first party online ordering system is also a great way to increase loyalty enrollment in your loyalty program.
2. Delivery Fee Discounts: Reduce or waive delivery fees during specific times or days to encourage orders during slow periods.
3. Seasonal Promotions: Capitalize on holidays or local events to draw attention to your restaurant.

If you’re concerned about low paying orders cutting into your profits, set minimum order amounts for discounts or bundles. This ensures you maintain profitability while still drawing in customers through promotions. 

One case study of a restaurant that has successfully used DoorDash to increase sales is Hiraya, a Filipino restaurant based in Washington, DC. The restaurant offered discounts to both new and existing customers to great success. In less than a year, they saw a 16% increase in monthly DoorDash sales and a 23% increase in orders, with 66% of orders coming from new customers. 

DoorDash Order Tracking 

Order tracking on DoorDash is crucial for both restaurants and customers. Here’s how it works: 

• For Restaurant Owners: DoorDash’s order tracking allows you to monitor delivery stages in real-time, from the moment you accept orders until the orders reach the customer. This helps you identify inefficiencies in the delivery process, so you can optimize your workflow, reduce delays, and improve overall speed. 
• For Customers: Customers can track their orders in real-time through the DoorDash app, seeing their delivery driver’s location and receiving updates on estimated delivery times. This transparency builds trust and improves customer satisfaction. 

3 Ways to Manage and Fulfill DoorDash Orders Efficiently 

Efficient order management makes or breaks customer satisfaction. Whether you're optimizing delivery driving or organizing kitchen workflows, every step counts. Here are three best practices to keep in mind: 

• Integrate Your POS System: Sync your DoorDash platform with your existing point of sale (POS) software and online ordering system for smoother operations. This streamlines order processing, reduces errors, and makes it easier to track inventory. 
• Use Order Batching: If you’re on multiple delivery apps, batch incoming orders efficiently by grouping nearby deliveries together. Instead of preparing DoorDash orders and other app orders separately, organize them by proximity and delivery times. Assuming you've already integrated your POS system, this process can be automated.  
• Monitor Order Status Regularly: While you may receive notifications for order updates, it’s easy for your team to miss them during busy times. Make sure to frequently check the status of orders in the DoorDash Merchant Portal to stay on top of delays, cancellations, or any potential issues. In addition, take note of delivery instructions that your customers may add to their order, such as specific drop-off instructions, gate codes, or instructions to call upon arrival. 

3 Tips to Analyze DoorDash Sales Data 

When you’re on DoorDash, you’ll have access to DoorDash analytics, which you can use to understand customer preferences and refine your menu and marketing. Here are three tips on using this data:  

1. Understand Customer Preferences: Identify bestsellers and adjust your offerings accordingly. For example, if a certain dish is consistently ordered more than others, consider promoting it or offering variations to attract even more customers.  
2. Track Performance: Monitor metrics like peak hours to refine your strategy. For example, if you notice that lunch orders spike between 12PM to 2PM, consider offering a lunch special or bundling deals to capitalize on the high traffic. 
3. Drive Incremental Sales: When adding a new menu item, analyze the data to ensure it drives incremental sales instead of cannibalizing your existing offerings. This way, you can expand your menu without negatively impacting your current sales.

4 Advanced Tips for Long-Term Success on DoorDash 

As you grow your business on DoorDash, focus on sustainability and adaptability. Here are four tips on maintaining a strong and consistent performance on DoorDash:  

• Master Peak Times: Staff up during high-demand periods to handle surges effectively. 
• Build Customer Loyalty: While DoorDash helps you reach new customers, make sure you incentivize them to return to your restaurant directly. Offer compelling loyalty program benefits, exclusive deals, and relevant promotions to retain those customers.  
• Scale Operations for Increased Volume: As you get more orders through DoorDash, think about how to scale your operations. You may need to streamline your kitchen workflows, hire extra staff, or fine-tune your order management systems to handle the increased volume without sacrificing quality or efficiency. 
• Expand to Multiple Apps: On top of DoorDash, diversify by using other delivery apps such as Grubhub and Uber Eats to reach more customers. 

Taking the Next Step 

If you’re new to the world of DoorDash, focus on setting up a complete and optimized restaurant profile and efficiently managing your menu and orders to start with. Once you’re familiar with how DoorDash works, use DoorDash’s data to optimize your menu and operations, and scale your operations to handle your growing order volume.

Ready to take the next step? Read our Online Ordering Report or book a demo to explore first-party online ordering options to streamline your operations and improve efficiency.