Third-party delivery platforms typically take a large commission fee from restaurants. Doordash just slashed its delivery fees in half, but those still amount to about 15% of each order. Other delivery platforms take as much as 30%.
And when you order through third-party platforms, the restaurant can also lose out on tips. Altogether, losses may be as high as 45%, according to Jeremy George, who co-owns Smokin J's in Poway, California with his brother Josh. "Its absolutely less profitable," George told Business Insider.
Canlis, the Georges, and the Ghanems have all chosen to re-employ waitstaff and other non-kitchen employees as delivery drivers. "We decided not to go for the third-party apps because we needed to keep as many employees working as possible," Ghanem said.
Hugh Acheson, who owns three restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia, cites delivery apps as a reason he refuses to do delivery.
"I don't have a cool bone in my body for many of the delivery services," Acheson told Business Insider. "I think they're charging exorbitant fees and not really putting their best foot forward. And I can't put my own people in harm's way."