Apr 26, 2021 - News
How much food delivery really costs in Des Moines
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash cost consumers more and tighten razor-thin margins for businesses, but we've come to rely on them during the pandemic.
The state of play: The cost of the same meal can vary dramatically whether you purchase it directly from the restaurant for pick-up or have it delivered via your app of choice.
Here's an example from Abelardo's, Des Moines' favorite Mexican drive-thru, for three fried tacos and plain chips:
- The meal itself costs $1 less on the apps, but the totals are $3+ more expensive.
- Delivery fees vary from restaurant to restaurant, app to app, even day to day. In this real-world instance, GrubHub charged $1.50 more than its competitors.
- The kicker is really in the miscellaneous "fees" category, which brings the GrubHub cost to $15 — about 45% more than pick-up.