Does ordering a chicken sandwich on a Friday evening around 6:00pm via DoorDash sound familiar? If it does, chances are that you’re not alone given this is the most popular date and time during the week to order food for delivery or pickup.
To equip restaurant operators with relevant insights to meet evolving consumer expectations, DoorDash Canada released its annual Online Ordering Trends Report* featuring a consumer survey and aggregated DoorDash data to illustrate how diners discover favourite restaurants, which menu items are rising and falling in popularity, and what generational differences may exist when ordering online.
“Canadians are continuing to discover new favourite restaurants within their neighbourhoods, with many customers ordering more takeout and delivery from third-party platforms than ever before,” said Shilpa Arora, General Manager of DoorDash Canada. “One in three consumers report placing online orders at least once a week and we’re proud to provide a platform that fosters deeper connections between local restaurants and consumers.”
Let’s digest a few of the emerging ways that consumers are ordering online and supporting restaurants within their communities.
Continued Online Ordering Growth
While 58% of survey respondents said they are dining at restaurants at the same rate or more than they did last year, many are continuing to enjoy the convenience of other ordering options.
Increased Order Frequency: Compared to 2023, 20% of consumers say they have increased their takeout ordering, whereas 18% of respondents note they are ordering more delivery.
Creatures Of Habit: 33% of consumers reported placing repeat orders at least once a week, which highlights an opportunity for restaurants to develop long-term relationships with customers.
Emerging Popular Hours: Skipping breakfast is a thing of the past, as breakfast meals from 5:00am - 11:00am saw 45% growth on DoorDash year over year, with early morning or late night orders from 12:00am - 5:00am growing by 36%.
According to a recent index, Canadians are less likely to buy or lease a vehicle due to recent rates of inflation and overall cost of living – signaling how food delivery remains a crucial aspect of day-to-day life for residents.
Enjoying Casual and Cozy Friday Evenings
More than half of consumers report a preference for ordering food delivery via a third-party application or website and Friday at 6:00pm is the most popular time of the week to order on DoorDash. In 2023, Canadians leaned towards five particular dishes when ordering on DoorDash:
Chicken Dishes
Sandwiches
Pizza
Sushi
Vegetable Tempura
There’s no debating that Friday is a popular day for indulging at home, however the jury is out on just how comfortable to get at home. More than half (53%) of consumers report eating takeout food on the couch with 47% using the takeout container and utensils opposed to their own dishes. One step further, 6% indicate a preference for eating their meals in bed – risking comfort for crumbs.
Hosting Last-Minute Saturday Gatherings
Consumers are keeping the good times going past Friday, as Saturday tends to be the most popular day of the week to order alcohol for delivery, with nearly 1 in 4 consumers ordering delivery when hosting social at-home gatherings. Canadians are saying goodbye to hard seltzer, instead opting for more traditional drink preferences:
Whiskey, Bourbon, and Scotch
Beer
Rum
Gin
Tequila
One in ten Gen Z and Millennial consumers report ordering low-ABV or non-alcoholic beverages for delivery in the past six months, however 35% of consumers said they're ordering alcohol delivery more than in 2023. Compared to other Canadians, respondents in Québec are ordering more wine and champagne for delivery (55% of Quebecers vs. 43% of the general population) – just trailing behind the most popular beverage in the region: beer.
Exploring Generational Ordering Differences
While Canadians certainly have more similarities than differences, generational habits and preferences have come to the forefront when speaking about online restaurant discovery.
Social Media Habits: Both Gen Z and Millennials who use social media to discover new restaurants primarily prefer Instagram — but TikTok is Gen Z's second favourite option, whereas Millennials turn to Facebook next.
Dining Formality: More than three-quarters of Baby Boomers use their own dishes and utensils, as opposed to eating directly from the container. Shockingly, 15% of Gen Z respondents most often eat delivery from the comfort of their bed.
Last-Minute Occasions: Gen Z (19%) and Millennials (18%) report making last-minute food delivery orders compared to Gen X (9%) or Baby Boomers (4%).
For even more insights around delivery, pickup, and online ordering trends, please download DoorDash Canada’s Online Ordering Trends Report.
*Methodology
The Online Ordering Trends Report survey was conducted by Dynata on behalf of DoorDash Canada from March 12 and March 21, 2024. Respondents included 1,518 Canadians, spanning generations, careers, and income levels. Participants were not compensated or incentivized by DoorDash.
In addition to survey data, DoorDash Canada analyzed anonymized internal data and previous DoorDash reports to learn how food and alcohol ordering activities and preferences have changed over the past year, or compared to previous years.
