A food delivery service can be a brick-and-mortar or an online-only business. Traditionally, the food being sold was delivered by the restaurant to customers who had ordered from them remotely. Often food delivery is referred to as takeout or carry-out. The delivered food is often prepared in a central location such as a restaurant and carried to the consumer's home to consume. Some companies specialize in delivering meals to people who are not able to get out of bed.

There are several models that can be used within the delivery business. The most common model is Restaurant to Consumer Model. This model allows the customer to order food online or over the phone, and then they will have someone deliver it to their home or business. In this model, consumers may pay a higher cost since they are paying for the delivery service, but it can be worth the cost due to convenience and speed. This model has also become popular due to the increased use of smartphones.

Another model that can be used is the Full-Stack Model. This model focuses on creating a platform for food delivery and a system that connects consumers and restaurants. The restaurant is responsible for all aspects of the delivery, including the food's online ordering, packaging and cooking. A third model is the Platform to Customer Model. This model is similar to the previous one, except a third party will deliver the food from the restaurant to the consumer. This model can be considered to help reduce costs for consumers.

In the food delivery business, it is important to recognize several different types of services. A company can have restaurant-prepared delivery, where the restaurant prepares the food and then delivers it. This is similar to a traditional restaurant experience, but without having to leave the house. Some of the companies offering this type of service include Grubhub and DoorDash. Companies that operate using mobile food apps to deliver food, such as UberEats or Postmates, don't have the same overhead costs as the full-stack model, so they can be more competitive with the traditional model.

Meal kit delivery is similar to the full-stack model, but instead of delivering whole meals, they provide ingredients that can be used to make meals. Some examples of these companies include Blue Apron and HelloFresh. Another type of type is the on-demand model. In this model, the restaurant prepares and delivers food ordered at a particular time. Great examples of these types of companies include GrubHub and Seamless.

Several things need to be in place for a successful business model. These factors can include an online delivery system as well as connected technologies. For an online delivery business to be successful, there must be a quality online food order interface. This allows customers to be able to submit orders efficiently and accurately. Customers will also need to be able to view their orders and the locations of the delivery drivers. This can be accomplished through GPS tracking. It is also essential that a company has a responsive customer service system.