No Sweat! Your Summer Takeout & Delivery Playbook

As off-premise dining continues to be a major revenue stream for Canadian restaurants, summer brings its own set of takeout and delivery challenges. Heat, staffing shortages, and peak dine-in crowds can push operations to the limit, leading to soggy fries, incorrect orders, or late deliveries.

The good news? With a few checklist-driven tweaks, operators can tighten systems, protect food quality, and keep customer satisfaction high, without adding significant cost or complexity!

Why Summer Adds Complexity

While takeout and delivery have become year-round staples, summer conditions can magnify operational issues:

• Heat affects food temperature and freshness – Fries lose crispness, ice melts in drinks, and hot entrées cool too quickly.
• High dine-in traffic strains kitchen timing – Orders for tables can slow prep for off-premise customers.
• Staff shortages increase order errors – Rushed packing often leads to missed items or incorrect modifications.
• Longer delivery distances in cottage-country or tourist zones raise the risk of spills, waste, and cold food.

Your Takeout & Delivery Quality Checklist

• Use ventilated containers for fried or hot items to prevent steam buildup.
• Separate hot & cold foods in packaging for better temperature control.
• Include reheat instructions or QR code videos for at-home enjoyment.
• Seal all bags to prevent tampering and reassure customers.
• Label every item clearly, especially when substitutions or modifications are made.

This checklist can be printed, laminated, and posted at the packing station so it becomes part of every order’s final inspection.

Packaging Isn’t the Place to Cut Corners

Cheap packaging can ruin a customer’s meal experience, leading to negative reviews or lost repeat business. Soggy containers, poor heat retention, and leaks make a lasting bad impression.

Instead, invest in compostable, durable, brand-forward packaging that reinforces your restaurant’s quality standards. Bulk-buying or securing supplier discounts through your foodservice distributor—or loyalty programs like Brand Points PLUS—can keep premium packaging affordable.

Kitchen Tips for Order Accuracy & Speed

A few operational changes can drastically improve takeout execution:

• Dedicated Takeout Station – Assign a section of the kitchen or a small table for bagging and quality checks.
• Double-Check Protocol – One staff member packs the order, another verifies against the ticket before sealing.
• Order Confirmation During Prep – Train staff to verbally confirm modifications to avoid missed instructions.

Insights Tip: Promote Add-Ons & Combos

Upselling in off-premise orders is easy when built into the ordering process:

• Offer pre-set dessert, drink, or side bundles on mobile ordering apps.
• Run “add this for $X” prompts at checkout.
• Prep grab-and-go add-ons (cookies, bottled drinks) ahead of time for speed.

Bundling increases average order value while providing a more complete customer experience.

Summer’s heat and high traffic don’t have to derail your takeout and delivery game. With the right systems, smart packaging, and a focus on accuracy, you can keep orders fresh, fast, and frustration-free. Looking for more tips and tricks for your takeout process? Click here to read more about the best takeout foods!

Winning at foodservice takes a lineup of all-star players. Yes, the food is important and always will be, but we aren’t just talking about the food. You need a team effort to succeed — to provide quality, consistency and service. Winning at takeout needs adaptable players. Is your takeout team ready?

The right coaches bring out the best in players. Why? Because they have played those positions. They understand the wins and losses, the risks, obstacles and struggles. Use foodservice coaches, from nationally recognized and trusted brands, to be your guides to build your best takeout menu and strategy.

Offensive line coach – on land

Chef James Keppy is the corporate chef for Maple Leaf Foods Canada.

“Operators … need to focus on items that they are known for, that travel well and that customers will come back to, again and again!” 

Chef James Keppy, corporate chef for Maple Leaf Foods Canada

“Most corporate chefs are usually consulting with operators to introduce new menu items and increase check averages. Today, all of us are helping operators streamline menus and offering value-added products for quicker service times. We are matching the best products to hot hold for delivery, while keeping quality high.”

“Operators are already adapting to a takeout world, but they need to focus on items that they are known for, that travel well and that customers will come back to, again and again!” 

“The menus should be getting smaller and ingredients need to have multiple applications wherever possible.”

• TIP: Consider family-sized options

Wings and pizza are king, but the innovation will be in the complete family dinner. Consider selling popular menu items family style — servings for two, four or six instead of a family ordering four different entrées.

Takeout is blurring the lines between grocery and retail with finish-at-home meal kits. Get the order for tonight’s meal and offer up a “Finish at Home” package for tomorrow… like a smokehouse kit with cooked ribs with signature sauce, baked mac and cheese, slaw and Mexican street corn.

Maple Leaf offers pulled meats, shaved steak, fully cooked ribs, wings and chicken sandwiches — perfect for takeout menus.   

Remember to return to the comfort foods, because they also happen to travel well! 

“Wings will always hold well for travel, especially breaded wings, but so do pulled pork and beef, BBQ ribs, mac and cheese, shepherd’s pie, lasagne and chili. These items can quickly become a regular order in a family’s dinner rotation.”

Offensive line coach – at sea

Chef Philman George is the corporate chef for High Liner Foodservice. High Liner Foodservice is on a mission to remind Canadians how healthy, versatile and tasty seafood is.

“My goal is to place craveable seafood on your menu and help you generate more profit. I work closely with operators to help them succeed and reach their full potential with seafood offerings.” 

Chef Philman George, corporate chef for High Liner Foodservice

“My goal is to place craveable seafood on your menu and help you generate more profit. I work closely with operators to help them succeed and reach their full potential with seafood offerings.” 

• TIP: Maximizing your online presence is key. Whether through social media, reviews on Yelp, or third-party delivery apps, it’s vital that your restaurant be seen in as many digital avenues as possible. 
• TIP: You eat with your eyes first! Take pride in capturing drool-worthy, Instagrammable photos of your menu items. Most delivery service apps offer photography sessions and most of them are free. Get as many dishes captured as possible! 
• TIP: Be strategic with your takeout menu offerings. Less is more! Design a menu that is easy and quick to execute and delivers an exceptional culinary experience. 

When customers order takeout, they want it relatively quickly and they want it to taste as good as it would if they were dining in-house. Be strategic with your takeout offerings to deliver great food without an extremely long wait time. Successful operators have streamlined their takeout offerings to make it simple for the kitchen staff to execute. 

“High Liner has many fantastic products that can help the operator save time, money and deliver exceptional seafood takeout. I think the true value to the operator is being able to tap into our High Liner Foodservice dedicated seafood experts, available across Canada. They love seafood and are passionate about helping the operator achieve their seafood goals.” 

“We have some fantastic new Guinness beer-battered products which are unique and simple for the operator to execute.”

Special teams coach

Chef Thomas Heitz is the corporate chef for Kraft Heinz Canada, a company with a large portfolio of brands.  

“Create something true to your brand. Don’t try to be everything, figure out what customers come to you for, what you do well. Own it and do it better.”

Chef Thomas Heitz, corporate chef for Kraft Heinz Canada

“Create something true to your brand. Don’t try to be everything, figure out what customers come to you for, what you do well. Own it and do it better. People do not tolerate mediocre food anymore.”

• TIP: Less is more. Streamline and focus your takeout menu.

An added benefit? If you are doing less, it’s easier to focus on being the best. Your customers are happy and satisfied, you reduce your ingredient count and labour needs and typically save money.

“The key to making that happen is convenience for the kitchen. Speed scratch. Take our Renée’s Roasted Garlic Aioli, add your own herbs or horseradish and you have a unique item you can execute with consistency. But that same Renée’s Roasted Garlic Aioli can used for other applications or again be quickly transformed into another unique ingredient just by adding one or two extras.”

Whether takeout or in-house dining, it is still about the quality of the food. Maintaining quality for takeout means using the right packaging and hopefully, sustainable packaging. Some premium ingredients lose their premium status after 30+ minutes in the wrong packaging.

It’s okay to package takeout menu items deconstructed. Keep cold and hot items separate whenever possible.

• TIP: Test your takeout packaging before you use it with customers.

To test something for takeout: Put it into the container, put aside for 20 minutes or more. Give it to someone, tell them to walk up and down the stairs, maybe even drop the bag, then look and taste.

“Figure out the little things like whether to have the bun buttered or not buttered, using bibb versus iceberg lettuce. Your final menu item will be better for the time and attention to all the details.”

“Service is part of the details. Having your takeout packages sealed and numbered, for example, can provide your customers with peace of mind while ensuring orders are complete and delivering quality.”

“It’s all about collaboration: working as a team in your own establishment and working with vendors and suppliers to succeed. You don’t need to do it on your own. Let us help.”

The final huddle

The best defence against the ups and downs of foodservice is a good offence. A good offence takes practice, training and creativity. It’s worth taking the time to streamline your takeout plays to achieve quality, consistency and service. Grab the opportunity now and your team is sure to execute a smarter, more profitable, winning takeout game.

One, two, three…go, takeout team!

Most foodservice operators have pivoted from their usual revenue streams to balance the ups and downs of the last year. Takeout has been a lifeline for many operators.  Some just dabbled in it before but are now realizing the added new sales and opportunities it may offer.

But pivoting, while supplementing revenue, can also add unforeseen costs. To stand out from the crowd and create a successful takeout service, you have to do it right. Brand Points PLUS (BP+) is here to help.

Kristen Storer and Michelle DaSilva are responsible for the national sales and marketing strategy for Greenbridge Foodservice, representing 12,500 independent restaurant operators. They kindly shared their insights, knowledge and tips on how to strategically use the BP+ program to build a successful takeout service.

Keys to a successful takeout service:

1. The Right Menu 
2. The Space
3. Easy Ordering
4. Proper Packaging
5. Service

The Right Menu

“Adjust, remove and add to build the best takeout menu. Winners from your dining room might not translate well to a 30-minute (or more) transit time. Plan a menu that is takeout worthy,” advises Kristen Storer.

Whether delivered or picked up, all food in your restaurant is now considered takeout, so the quality must be there to earn a returning customer.

Time, temperature, taste, texture and visual appeal must all be considered. The right product or ingredient can make a big difference in customer satisfaction.

“Vendors have a vested interest in operators’ success,” says Storer. “Cavendish, for example, has developed potato products and onion rings meant to hold their quality and texture specifically for takeout.”

Build a menu that uses products and ingredients within the BP+ program. With more than 75 nationally recognized and trusted vendors in the program, it’s simple to make strategic choices to add value to products that operators are already purchasing.

Every product in the program will earn points. Storer says to remember to check out the bi-monthly promotions to increase your point balance more quickly.

Create a takeout menu with BP+ vendors and their products in mind and reap the rewards.

The Space

Making do will only work for the short term. As the “short term” becomes longer term, and if you want to continue successfully, your takeout space might need some adjustments — takeout counter, pickup area, retail space addition, new signage and appropriate lighting.

“Operators have been required to pivot their operations. Takeout, for example, has added costs like packaging and equipment — large and small. Why not use points to make your takeout service more successful?” asks Michelle DaSilva.

“The program is completely automatic. Operators don’t need to do any work,” she adds. “Just redeem their points for rewards.”

Although you can use your rewards any way you wish — from personal items to gifts for your valued employees — why not use them to help your takeout business?

• Display fridges and freezers for storing and to entice customers during pickup. Having as many menu items as possible (and think beyond to retail only items) prepackaged and ready to grab can save valuable time (and steps) and hopefully increase cheque size.
• Add signage for clarity. Chalkboards, whiteboards, a bigger (brighter) open sign, direction decals, tent boards or whatever you need to ensure customers clearly understand your business, your offerings and ways to stay safe.
• Increase lighting to brighten things up. Lighting, the proper type and location, can make a huge impact on customers. The ambience you established in the past for your dining room might not be suitable for pickup from customers (and delivery drivers) to do business effectively.

Easy Ordering

“Is the menu accessible? On a website? An app? Are the images of the food tasty-looking and entice the customer to place an order?” DaSilva suggests operators should ask themselves these questions.

The reality is that a paper menu isn’t going to cut it for these times. And as restaurants begin to reopen more widely, more operators are going completely digital. Ensure your online presence is clear, concise, true to your brand and continually updated.

The takeout menu should include: how to order, how to pick up/receive orders, your retail operation menu, and, importantly, details on how your business and staff are operating safely. Your customers want to know everything, especially now.  Don’t make them have to think twice — they have a lot going on, too.

Proper Packaging

Once your food leaves the building, its quality is at the mercy of the package.

“Choice of packaging should depend on the menu item and not based on a standard takeout package that operators have always used,” says DaSilva.

Storer agrees, “Operators should consider packaging choices to maintain quality like vented lids to keep crisp food crisp. Try out some of these innovative products. Your food and your customers will appreciate the effort.”

Retail items, over and above your takeout menu, deserve attention as well. Typically stored for longer periods of time and requiring visual appeal, the packaging might be out of your budget. Again, why not use BP+ rewards, such as a vacuum sealer and bags (a reward that keeps on giving), divided snack and meal boxes, reusable bowls or glass jars for soups and chilis, or even a printer for eye-catching labels.

Service

Be practically perfect in every way possible. It’s easier to fix problems in-house, a little more difficult when both the customer and the food have left the building. From having a dedicated expeditor on each shift to double-check orders to a policy if an error does occur, you should offer your customers the same service they’d receive in your dining room.

Can BP+ help with service? Yes! Rewards can be used for an exclusive rolling table for expediting orders and tamper-proof stickers to give your customers peace of mind. “We want to help you. The BP+ vendors want to help you,” says Storer. “So, help yourself by choosing products that earn you BP. And take advantage of our service. Use the tools and resources we have compiled to help you and your business. Your success is important to us. We’re all in it together.” 

Home for the holidays? That’s a fact for many Canadians who are still grounded by COVID-19. But that doesn’t mean celebrating the festive season has to be a bust — for your guests or you.

Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s are just around the corner, and many guests are already preparing for Zoom and other virtual holiday get-togethers. Even though many restaurants are closed or limited for eat-in business because of the pandemic, you can still offer special holiday and seasonal menus to capture some of those holiday dining dollars. Think festive takeout and meal kits to help your guests ring in the season.

• Tip: Do something seasonal with your takeout packaging. Use splashes of colour, add festive messaging on packages, wrap with bows or even tie with balloons. Christmas crackers and New Year’s hats can help turn takeout into memorable experiences.

Ramp up your meal kit service

Some of your guests will want to replicate the experience of creating that special holiday meal, whether they’re eating with close family or Zooming with a crowd of fellow diners. You can provide the inspiration, the ingredients, and the packaging while letting your guests feel they’re the chefs.

• Tip: Pre-prep your packaging and simple step-by-step instructions for a select group of holiday meals so you’re ready.

Offer “fancy” meals to go

While most restaurants with takeout and delivery are offering pared down, simple versions of their menus, there’s a niche for operators who also want to feature a gourmet menu for special occasions like the winter holidays. “Fancy” food still has a place with guests celebrating the season who don’t want the same old, same old menu items. For a higher price point you can feature a stylish, one-off menu, along with a good wine, that replicates a fine dining experience. Bon appétit!

• Tip: Ramp up your Instagram photography to show diners the fancy dishes that are just a click away.

Don’t forget cocktail kits

Now that many restaurants can add alcohol to takeout and delivery food orders, why not do something fun, like creating cocktail kits? In many areas, operators are not permitted to sell actual cocktails for delivery, but there is no law against sending deconstructed versions of your guests’ favourites. For instance, a Mexican restaurant could include the ingredients for a mojito — sealed bottles of rum, lime juice, soda water, sugar and mint. One bar in Toronto, Project Gigglewater, used Instagram to advertise cocktail kits ready for delivery with such names as “Keep Calm & Quarantine” and “Toilet Paper Greens.”

• Tip: Consider creating winter holiday-themed cocktail kits. Eggnog, anyone?

Flexible restaurant operators converted quickly from eat-in to takeout during the COVID-19 pandemic. And whether they’re fine dining, QSR or casual eating establishments, they’re finding it’s not as hard as you may think to revamp an eat-in operation. Also, according to infectious disease specialist Isaac Bogoch, the risk of contracting the virus from takeout & delivery is “so extraordinarily small” — good news for consumers and restaurant operators alike.

Still, perfect takeout & delivery are not a matter of just putting food into any old containers and hoping it makes the journey in one piece.

You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to foodservice, your takeout packaging had better hold up to scrutiny. More importantly, your takeout packaging has to stand up to delivery… and still look appetizing when it reaches its destination.

“With takeout, the customer is in control of when that food is consumed,” says John Veder, director of innovation – paper for Novolex North America. “For delivery, the customer is at home, waiting. Their expectation is that the food is ready to eat. Not soggy. Not cold.”

Must Have: The right packaging for the food being delivered

When food is delivered, customers see the packaging first, and they eat with their eyes.  Is it clean, neat and tidy? You need to make a great first impression otherwise customers may not go to you for takeout again. That’s why Veder suggests ensuring the packaging is correct for the application in terms of size and material. “The packaging a french fry requires for travel is different than a pasta dish. And packaging will also depend on the miles or time it needs to travel.”

Must Have: Packaging designed specifically for foodservice

No one likes to pick up or receive soggy, leaking, messy or unattractive food packages. Companies like W. Ralston, Novolex and Polar Pak, a Novolex brand, feature packaging specifically for foodservice operations that include takeout & delivery, and also packaging that’s size-appropriate.

Must Have: Customizable packaging

Consider customizing your existing menu specifically for delivery, Veder advises.

Novolex’s innovation is driven by providing solutions to delivery (and takeout) packaging needs, offering a wide range of options with thermal properties, moisture resistance, visual appeal, and security. “Our load and fold bag offers functionality in terms of transport but also that tamper evident feature where a branded sticker could be added to give your customer peace of mind.”

Must Have: Meal-in-a-package ease of use

Many of your guests turned to takeout & delivery because they couldn’t enjoy the eat-in experience at your restaurant. A winning strategy to keep your food — and your brand — front of mind is a mealkit approach to takeout & delivery. When they open the packaging at home, their order should as closely as possible resemble a restaurant meal you might serve. Attractively presented, appetizing, clean (as in, no drips or sogginess) — food that’s ready to eat and that leaves your customers with good feelings and continued loyalty.

About the Authors JANE AUSTER & CHERIE THOMPSON

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Jane Auster is the editor of ChefConnexion.com. She has been a foodservice writer and editor for more than 30 years. Jane was the editor of Your Foodservice Manager, a national magazine for professionals in the foodservice and hospitality industry in Canada, and FoodBiz.ca digital site. She was also editorial consultant and managing editor for the relaunch of Flavours magazine.

Cherie Thompson understands foodservice from field to fork. A B.Sc. in Agriculture and experience in quality control, food science, product development, recipe development/editing, customer service, and teaching as well as owning and operating two independent foodservice operations have given her a unique perspective on the food industry.