What are busiest restaurant and food delivery days of the year + 4 tips on how to dominate busy delivery days 

We've all been there. A surge in orders can bring even the most well-oiled QSR operation to its knees: In fact, these days require preparation and staffing considerations to maintain smooth operations and ensure order accuracy and customer satisfaction!   

Certain days and holidays are known by delivery service providers (DSPs) like DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats to have increased delivery demand—But don’t worry, help is here!  
  
 This handy guide will help you mark your calendar for high-volume QSR delivery days, and provide you with 4 key strategies to ensure your team stays strong and delivers customer satisfaction during peak times.   

Top Busiest Days  for Restaurants and Food Delivery Services

There are obvious busy-delivery days like big holidays, and then there are some less-expected days that shock the system. Below are reported to have the highest volume based on delivery service provider (DSP) data, as well as Delaget’s data.    

Our biggest piece of advice: Get into the habit of scrutinizing your calendar at the beginning of each quarter to plan for these busy dates. Add the following dates to your calendar, and prepare accordingly:

1. Christmas Day – December 25th   
   For customers looking to take the stress off of the holidays, Christmas Day is one of the top delivery days for Delivery Service Providers (DSPs).   
2.  New Year's Eve + New Year’s Day – December 31st + January 1st  
   After a night of celebrations, many customers opt for delivery on New Year's Day. Plan to staff more for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner on this day.  
3. Mother's Day – Second Sunday in May  
   Mom’s definitely not cooking – and smart families opt to order in mom’s favorite meal, leading to a spike in deliveries. Order inflections likely to occur throughout the day—Breakfast, lunch, and dinner!  
4. Super Bowl Sunday – Usually Sunday in February, but varies  
   A huge day for food delivery, especially if you serve pizza, wings, or tacos—Yum! Plan to staff more in the evening, as the superbowl takes place in the evening and the parties revolve around FOOD!  
5. Easter Sunday – Varies 
   Families gathering = increased delivery demand! That, or families not celebrating aren’t able to visit restaurants that are typically open, and turn to QSR instead. 
6. Labor Day – First Monday of September 
   Labor day is a day most people kick back and relax, or gather with friends and family! Incoming: QSR delivery orders!  
7. Tax day – Typically April 15th 
   Not typically considered a high-volume holiday – operators beware! Tax professionals are celebrating this day with large catering orders and treating themselves to meals on the company dime.   

Other key dates with higher restaurant delivery orders to consider:  

1. Fridays before certain holidays:  
   Delivery demand often spikes on the Friday before holidays like Presidents' Day and Veterans Day. Be sure to mark up your calendar for Fridays before holidays.  
2. Local graduation dates  
   Is a local college hosting graduation ceremonies? How about local high schools? Having a pulse on community events like graduations are a good way to stay prepared for inevitable surges in delivery app use.  
3. Big sporting events AND league draft dates  
   Events like the NCAA Men's and Women’s Basketball Finals (March Madness!) can lead to a surge in delivery orders, especially if you serve up sports-fan favorites like wings and appetizers. And don’t forget draft dates—On days of the draft, delivery apps also see a large surge in delivery orders.   
     

National Days that may drive business

National holidays like “National Fried Chicken Day” and “National Ice Cream Day” are commonly celebrated with large brands by putting on promos—Free tacos, pancakes, and donuts galore! Influxes on these dates are two-fold: 1) Promotions can cause influxes in delivery orders – and 2) Consumers could see buzz online and fancy themselves the food of the day!    

Here are some dates to add to your calendar – Be sure to search your brand’s specialty items to add special dates, and keep an eye on brand promotions revolving around these dates to properly prepare:

• National Pizza Day – February 9th   
• National Donut Day – June 2nd  
• National Fried Chicken Day – July 6th   
• National Ice Cream Day – July 16th  
• National Cheeseburger Day – September 18th   
• National Pancake Day – September 26th   
• National Taco Day – October 4th    

Conquering the Chaos: How Restaurants can dominate busy food delivery days  

 Now that you’re aware of which days have the highest restaurant delivery volumes, let’s touch on how you can prepare for and dominate these busy food delivery dates:    

1. Gear up your crew:  

• Staff up: It's no surprise you'll need more hands-on deck. Consider scheduling additional staff for prep work, cooking, order assembly, and packing.  
• Cross-training is king: Prepare for these days by doing additional training around delivery order operations—We’d recommend a week or two before, focusing in on staff that are scheduled for those days (if know this far ahead). Ensure your team can seamlessly swap between tasks for a well-oiled machine that can handle surges in orders

2. Tech to the rescue: 

• Use data to inform your staffing and highlight areas of improvement: Use your Delivery operational data (from tools like Delaget Delivery and +Recovery) to inform areas of opportunity for your team: Are there certain items that are regularly missing or inaccurate items? If so, prepare your staff to check for them and train to perfection.   
• Keep delivery platforms informed: If you anticipate wait times increasing, proactively communicate with delivery platforms to adjust estimated delivery times. This keeps customers informed and reduces frustration.    

  3. Streamline Delivery Operations:   

• Get your delivery ducks in a row: Establish a separate area for drivers, if not already in place, to expedite pickups without compromising food quality.   

• Utilize a double-check system: Put one person BOH in charge of checking every receipt and meal leaving your lobby, using a marker to check each item going out for accuracy. Print our restaurant delivery order checklist to use as a training resource in your stores, or for your “peer-reviewer” to reference when checking orders for errors.  

4. Address Losses and Refunds:   

• Delivery orders often come with a higher cancellation rate and increased instances of missing items and refunds. Post-busy delivery dates, ensure thorough disputing and reconciliation with delivery partners to minimize losses and maximize revenue recapture. 

• Bonus Tip: Consider partnering with delivery platforms for targeted promotions or special offers during peak times. This can attract new customers and boost your sales. 

• By implementing these strategies, your QSR can transform peak delivery days from stressful storms into opportunities to shine. Remember, a little planning goes a long way in ensuring your operation runs smoothly and keeps those happy customers fed!