Delivery

My restaurant is interested in starting to offer delivery services. Does anyone have any ideas for this? How does one go about starting to deliver? I am lost on this topic!

Post a large banner outside your restaurant: "WE NOW DELIVER!"

You need to determine how far you want to deliver, keeping the food safe, liability and insurance issues. Talk to somebody at a Dominos to see how they handle it.

As far as liability and insurance. Is it customary to pay the car insurance of the delivery person?

A million years ago I did pizza delivery for a mom and pop place, they paid me gas mileage. My local mom & pop pizza place now charges $3 for delivery so between that and whatever we tip, we now drive the 5 blocks to pick it up.

If you own or lease the vehicle, then insurance is your responsibility. If you hire drivers with their own cars, you just supply them some 'go' gas $$. Also, for your safety, make a copy of their auto insurance and drivers license. Make sure both stay valid, and check with your insurance agent if they need to be added to any liability insurance thru your company (in case they wreck their car, was their fault, and the other party wants to go after both of you). Best to investigate this with both a lawyer and your insurance guy.

If your employee is honest with his car insurance company about using the car in the performance of his job - his insurance will go up to take that into account. (ours would have tripled when we inquired--hubby told employer he would need a company car to do the errands) If employee gets into an accident while doing your deliveries and has not told them - I bet insurance will refuse to pay and will cancel him for deception.

You need to have an umbrella policy to cover yourself, if the driver has an accident, you will be sued, guaranteed, if it's your drivers fault. You don't provide a policy if it's not your vehicle, gas allowance, hourly, plus tips. Talk to your agent about the size of your policy, I carry $2,000,000 umbrella, covers everything that could happen in and out of your Restaurant.
Fliers in offices, a banner outside, some adds in local paper.
Don't hire anyone who doesn't know the neighborhood cold.

Delivery opens a whole new opportunity, but with that comes more problems, If you get someone that doesn't show then you just added a new job for yourself for the day. I had a deli/catering place for about 3-4 yrs. and that is why i now stand in a hot dog truck by myself.
. No more no show help,getting lost help and everything else that goes along with it. I guess it works for some but for me, NO thanks. I only want to have to depend on ME. Good luck to you.