In the post COVID world, many restaurants are regaining their balance after a year of changes and closures. At the same time, customers are warier of venturing out to eat, and increasingly demanding easy food delivery service right to their doorstep. But when it comes to ordering food from a favorite local eatery, there are some do’s and don’ts to ensure that people are properly showing support to a business. Below are a few tips to show your support and make ordering food delivery beneficial to both parties involved.

Order food directly from a restaurant

Although there are many restaurant delivery services out there, like Uber Eats and Grubhub, go directly to a restaurant’s website when ordering from them. Another option is picking up the phone and calling it in. That way, the restaurant will receive all the money from a transaction. When ordering from a third-party vendor, they take a cut of the profit for their services, thus the restaurant doesn’t receive full payment. Vendors need to pay their drivers and need to make their own profit too.

Lately, many restaurants are pushing back on third-party vendors for a variety of reasons. Some delivery sites do not ask for a restaurant’s permission to feature them. Also, these sites do not update menu and service hours. This can be frustrating for both the eatery and customers. Imagine having a craving for a certain dish, but after placing an order, finding out the restaurant is closed or that dish is no longer available. Talk about maddening.

The bottom line is placing a food order directly with a restaurant ensures that they receive the full profit from the sale and that an order can actually be fulfilled.

Fill out online reviews

A restaurant’s online image counts for a lot in today’s technology-driven world. A small way of supporting a local business’s delivery service is writing an online review. Although word of mouth is still a popular way of telling people about great places to grab a bite, online reviews are increasingly influencing people’s perception of a restaurant.

When customers fill out honest and positive reviews online, that helps with boosting sales for a restaurant down the road. People don’t want to go somewhere with incorrect food orders or long wait times. Or if a business has multiple bad reviews, its operation will not flourish.

Reviews also give customers a chance to interact with their favorite meal spot. Minor details can help managers improve overall service. However, it’s better to talk about bigger issues, like a messed-up order or poor delivery packaging, via a phone call or email. Remember, everyone in the world can read what’s online, and it’s not helpful to get into virtual fights. If a restaurant gave a bad experience, contact them directly to discuss it.

Purchase food gift cards to support restaurants

Customers don’t always want to eat out, but one way they can support restaurants right away is by purchasing gift cards. That way, when it comes time for their next visit or food craving to fulfill, they can just pull out their gift card. But similar to ordering delivery, gift cards should be purchased directly from the restaurant. Gift card sales are a great way to help a restaurant right away, but not overstuff a refrigerator with leftover food.

These three tips are a great way to support a local restaurant’s overall business and delivery. Although choosing a more convenient option such as a delivery service website or cooking a meal at home may be tempting, customers still want to help their local spot.