Comment by hnick

I know you probably realise this but I think you missed a few important factors that can justify losing some money on deliveries.

- Takeaway/delivery food costs less to produce than dining in - no cleaning, no turning away customers who want to eat in because the place is full, no hiring wait staff, less fixed rental space cost, etc.

- Delivery reaches people who are too lazy to come to the restaurant. Ask most businesses if they will take a dollar or two profit less and make the sale, compared to losing it. Most will say yes.

- Delivery/convenience puts the brand top of mind for people feeling lazy (plus others see the car driving around). This is marketing.

- People are usually willing to wait for deliveries. At least here in Australia, if I order pickup it's ready in 15 minutes or up to an hour for delivery. This allows some flexibility with scheduling in the kitchen around the driver's schedule.

I think it is a lot more expensive than a lot of us give credit for (I visited Canberra and was aghast at the $9 delivery fees), but there are some benefits and savings to offset this.