What Grubhub’s 2024 Delivered Trends Mean for Small Restaurant Owners

Grubhub’s 2024 Delivered Trends Report highlights the growing demand for unique, bold, and over-the-top delivery experiences. For small restaurant owners, the report offers valuable insights into consumer preferences and strategies to capitalize on these emerging trends. Here’s what the findings mean for your business and how you can adapt to thrive.

Protein Dominance: Chicken Leads the Pack

With chicken accounting for nearly 40% of Grubhub restaurant orders, the demand for protein-packed meals is undeniable. Small restaurant owners should:

• Feature customizable protein options on your menu, like double protein or unique protein pairings, to attract health-conscious and meal-prepping customers.
• Highlight popular trends like cottage cheese-based dishes, which are experiencing a renaissance. If your kitchen has the capability, experiment with incorporating high-protein options like cottage cheese toast or flatbreads.

Espresso and Coffee Innovation

Espresso orders and variations surged this year, with nearly 15,000 latte variations ordered. To meet the caffeine craze:

• Offer creative custom coffee drinks, such as specialty espresso variations or seasonal coffee blends.
• Consider collaborations with local roasters to add authenticity and draw coffee enthusiasts to your menu.

If your restaurant serves a college-heavy or office-centric market, lean into coffee delivery promotions during peak times like midterms or morning office hours.

Capitalize on Swicy: Sweet + Spicy Explosion

Hot honey and the “swicy” (sweet + spicy) trend are redefining flavor profiles. To leverage this:

• Experiment with swicy pairings like hot honey drizzled on fried chicken, French fries, or pizzas.
• Market these offerings as unique, bold choices that align with adventurous diners looking for distinctive options.

Elevate Your Family Meal Offerings

Grubhub users ordered over 1.6 million family meals in 2024, highlighting the demand for convenient group dining solutions. Small restaurants can:

• Promote family-sized options or bundle deals that cater to larger groups.
• Ensure your packaging is designed for easy transport and reheating to enhance the convenience factor.

Ride the Pickle Wave

Pickles are making their mark with a 14% increase in popularity, being used creatively in everything from sandwiches to sodas. Small restaurants can:

• Add pickle-forward menu items, such as pickle-brined chicken sandwiches or pickle juice-infused cocktails.
• Highlight these items in your marketing, playing up their bold and trendy appeal.

Optimize Convenience for Customers

With convenience stores seeing increased demand for items like made-to-order hot dogs, small restaurant owners can learn to:

• Offer grab-and-go options for customers seeking quick meals.
• Streamline packaging for delivery to appeal to late-night and on-the-go consumers.

Focus on Mexican Cuisine

Mexican cuisine remained the most popular international cuisine, with birria orders surging to 1.3 million. If your menu includes Mexican dishes:

• Feature birria tacos or bowls, which are hot-ticket items.
• Emphasize customizable options for tacos, burritos, and bowls to attract diners looking for personalization.

Respond to Hotel Delivery Growth

Grubhub’s report shows 60% of hotel orders occur during dinner. If your restaurant is near hotels:

• Partner with nearby hotels or target their guests with specialized meal deals.
• Offer elevated meal options, such as wine pairings or breakfast-in-bed packages, to appeal to travelers looking for convenience and indulgence.

Action Steps for Small Restaurants

• Adapt your menu to reflect trending items, such as protein-heavy dishes, swicy flavors, and pickle-forward creations.
• Invest in high-quality delivery packaging to cater to both family-sized meals and on-the-go options.
• Use targeted marketing to highlight your restaurant’s alignment with these trends, such as promoting your unique espresso creations or bold flavor combinations.

By tapping into these trends, small restaurants can position themselves as the go-to choice for diners seeking bold, exciting, and convenient delivery experiences. The key is to stay creative, adaptable, and aware of what your customers want most.

Image: Grubhub