Yes, you can set up effective delivery with your own drivers, as long as you do not leave it “more or less” to chance. You need a specific service area, a clear process from order to delivery, proper communication with the customer and daily checks on the small mistakes that cost time.
The big advantage is that you keep control of the experience: who delivers, how they speak to the customer, what condition the food arrives in and how quickly a problem is solved. On the other hand, it needs discipline. If the kitchen, till and drivers do not work with a shared system, delivery becomes a source of tension instead of a growth channel.
1. define your delivery area from the start
The first mistake is to say “we’ll go wherever they ask us to”. That fills your routes with faraway trips, delays nearby orders and tires out your drivers. Start with a realistic area that you can serve consistently, not only during quiet hours.
In practice, divide your area into zones:
- Zone A: nearby addresses, fast delivery, main priority.
- Zone B: a little further away, acceptable when a driver is available.
- Zone C: areas you serve only during calm hours or with a higher minimum order.
Set clear boundaries on a map and do not change them every day. If an area often creates delays, do not look at it emotionally. See whether it is worth it operationally. It is better to have fewer orders that arrive properly than many that arrive late and damage your image.
2. create a clear order flow
The order must pass through specific steps, without confusion. When everyone knows what happens at each stage, you reduce questions, phone calls and the “who took this order?” moments.
A simple flow can be:
- receiving the order and checking the customer details,
- accepting or rejecting it based on workload, area and availability,
- printing it or displaying it in the kitchen,
- preparation and packaging,
- assigning it to a driver,
- delivery and completion.
If you accept online orders, make sure the customer is updated on progress. For example, Wiiz Eat has a live order dashboard with acceptance, rejection, “ready” and “out for delivery” statuses, so the customer receives an update at every step. This also helps your team, because it reduces repeated phone calls such as “where is my order?”.
3. calculate preparation times correctly
Do not promise a delivery time based on the best possible day. Calculate it based on the reality of the kitchen during peak times. If a burger takes 12 minutes on a quiet shift, it may take much longer when you have a full dining room, phone calls and lots of online orders.
Do a simple exercise for one week. Note down:
- time the order was received,
- time the kitchen started it,
- time it was packaged,
- time it left with the driver,
- delivery time.
You do not need a complicated file. Even a notebook or a simple spreadsheet is enough. The aim is to see where time is lost: in the kitchen, in packaging, waiting for a driver or on the route. Then adjust your average preparation time more honestly. A customer forgives a realistic time more easily than a promise that is not kept.
4. organise driver shifts based on demand
Drivers should not be scheduled only based on “who can work today”. You need shifts that follow demand. Your needs are different on a Tuesday afternoon from a Friday evening. If you have too few drivers at peak time, the kitchen may be getting food out quickly but the orders may be waiting on the counter.
Start with three shift zones:
- preparation before the peak: one driver available earlier for the first orders,
- main peak: full coverage when you know demand is rising,
- closing: fewer people, but not zero coverage before you stop taking orders.
Keep notes on days with unusual traffic, such as matches, bad weather or local events. These days change the schedule completely. Do not treat them as “normal”, because then you will be running to cover gaps at the last minute.
5. give drivers clear rules
The driver is the customer’s last contact with your restaurant. If they arrive politely, on time and with the correct order, they strengthen your image. If they arrive in a rush, confused or without information, the experience is damaged even if the food is good.
Create a small “delivery protocol” with rules such as:
- checking the bag before leaving: name, address, products, drinks, extras,
- confirming the payment method before departure,
- calling the customer only when needed, not unnecessarily,
- polite handover without comments about delays or distance,
- immediate update to the restaurant if there is a wrong address or an unexpected issue.
If you use digital tools, also see the guide App for your drivers, especially if you want clearer order assignment and fewer phone arrangements.
6. pay as much attention to packaging as to the route
Delivery is not judged only by speed. It is judged by how the food arrives. The wrong packaging can ruin a product that came out perfectly in the kitchen. Chips that steam, salads that warm up, sauces that open and coffees that spill create a bad experience.
Set rules by product category:
- hot food: secure closure, proper ventilation where needed, separation from cold products,
- drinks: transport holders and lid checks,
- sauces: separate containers, not loose inside the bag,
- delicate products: placed on top, not underneath heavy boxes.
Run tests. Package a product, leave it for 15-20 minutes and open it like a customer. You will immediately see what needs to change. The kitchen often sees the dish the moment it goes out, but the customer sees it after the journey.
7. set rules for peak time, pausing and rejection
You do not have to accept every order at any cost. If the kitchen is overwhelmed or there is no driver available, the right decision may be a temporary pause or rejection. The problem is not saying “I can’t right now”. The problem is accepting and delivering very late.
Define in advance when you stop or limit orders:
- when waiting orders exceed the limit the kitchen can handle,
- when there is no driver for the next departures,
- when a specific area has a long delay due to traffic,
- when a key product has run out and affects many orders.
In an online ordering system for your own restaurant, such as Wiiz Eat, you can have opening hours, a temporary pause on orders, delivery or collection options, a delivery charge, minimum order and the option to hide a dish that has run out. These settings help you protect your operation before a problem is created.
8. measure what went wrong every week
Organising delivery does not end once you create the process. It needs a small weekly review. Not to blame people, but to find recurring patterns. If the same areas are delayed every Friday or products are missing from bags every Sunday, you have a sign that something needs to change.
Keep a simple list of problems:
- wrong product or missing extra,
- preparation delay,
- driver delay,
- wrong address or difficult communication,
- complaint about temperature or packaging.
Every week, choose one problem and fix it. Do not try to solve everything at once. For example, if soft drinks are often missing, add a compulsory final bag check next to the exit. If faraway areas are delayed, change the zones or the minimum order. Continuous small improvement is more effective than big changes that are not applied.