Business Bites
Fall 2025
Welcome back to Business Bites, your quarterly look at foodservice insights, served fresh from Simplot.
Are you omnichannel enough?
Diners dine in. Diners dash their dinner. No matter where your customers consume their food, they expect an exceptional experience.
Today, we’re looking at trends in off-premise dining. While indoor seating still makes up the majority of business revenue for full-service operators, don’t overlook off-premise dining as an opportunity to reach a wider audience and grow your business.
Grab a bite of business insights and some tips for what to do next.
The youth make off-premise a habit
Convenience, flexibility, access to favorite food — there are plenty of good reasons to order delivery, and Gen Z and Millennials know all of them. These two groups are pushing off-premise growth. About half of them order delivery, pick-up, or drive-thru at least once a week, making them a valuable audience.
- Make ordering as easy as possible to fit into a regular habit.
- Maintain reliable service to build trust with this audience as their income and spending power grow in the future.
- Be flexible — optimize both pick-up and delivery to meet customers’ expectations.
Source: Datassential Off-Premise 2025 Keynote
Mobile apps offer an optimal ordering experience
When customers order off-premise eats, they want the process to be fast and easy, and they want their order to be correct. Comparing phone, website, or mobile app online ordering experience, mobile apps outperformed the rest in every category, according to customers.
Overall Appeal
- 52% Mobile App
- 44% Website
- 35% Phone
What should you do about it?
- Ensure your digital menu is easy to navigate.
- Invest in user-friendly, straightforward digital ordering opportunities.
- Reduce barriers like logins and eliminate bugs quickly.
Pick-up picks up amid increasing delivery fees
Customers’ budgets are getting tighter, and they’ve decided to become their own delivery drivers. Pick-up is the most widely available off-premise offering, and 48% of consumers who have decreased their delivery ordering say they’ve switched to picking up food themselves to avoid fees.
- Emphasize the convenience of pick-up in the midst of ongoing inflation and increasing fees.
- Design the pick-up process to be fast and friendly.
- Make sure food travels well. (Speaking of which…)
Sources: Datassential Off-Premise 2025 Keynote; Technomic Customer & Operator Outlook Q1 2025
Packaging is key in off-premise food quality ratings
What do we want? High food quality ratings! When do we want them? Now! But also after our food has traveled in a car for fifteen minutes!
Make sure your off-premise ratings are as high as your on-premise ratings by implementing these best practices:
- Invest in leak-proof containers that maintain food temperature.
- Treat packaging as plating — make sure dishes look appetizing.
- Seal containers for safety.
- Choose food products that travel well, like “delivery-proof” fries.
Source: Datassential Off-Premise 2025 Keynote
Try the Trend: Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with Dill Avocado, Slaw and Fries
Explore bold new flavor combinations with this recipe. The Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with Dill Avocado spread pairs perfectly with Simplot Conquest® Delivery+® Clear Coated Straight Cut Fries and an extra side of Simplot Harvest Fresh® Avocados Dill Pickle Flavored Avocado Spread.
Conquer soggy sides with Simplot Conquest® Delivery+® Clear Coated Straight Cut Fries. They stay crisp for an astonishing 40+ minutes, making them a great option for dine-in, drive-thru, delivery, and catering. Plus, they pair beautifully with Simplot Harvest Fresh® Avocados Dill Pickle Flavored Avocado Spread.
Check out the recipe
Hungry for more?
Reach out to your Simplot sales contact for more insights, information, and product solutions.
For product details and recipes, visit SimplotFoods.com.
