Before diners decide what to eat, they decide where to look.
Today, third-party delivery apps are at parity with restaurant menus as the top sources of information engaged with prior to purchase. And this behavior isn’t limited to delivery alone: 1 in 3 in-person diners use a delivery app like Uber Eats to inform their choice. As hunger and mobility increasingly intersect, Uber Advertising enables choice in the moment—right when intent is highest.
The new reality for restaurants
The restaurant path to purchase has been transformed. Diners don’t start with a brand—they start with a moment, then explore options and make decisions in real time.
And increasingly, those decisions unfold on Uber Eats. Over three in four restaurant delivery decisions happen in under an hour, collapsing awareness, consideration, and conversion into a single digital moment.
For restaurants, this is the rise of a new growth engine. Delivery as your new front door.
Four forces shaping the new path
1) Curious loyalty: repeat and explore
Today’s diners are both loyal and adventurous. It’s what we call curious loyalty: the same diner who orders their favorite tacos on Tuesday may try a new ramen shop on Friday—without leaving the platform.
Winning means making reorders effortless while using Ads + Offers to spark discovery.
2) Gen Uber: The Now Generation
At the heart of this shift is Gen Uber—a digitally fluent, on-demand cohort defined by immediacy. 84% of Gen Z & Millennials ordered delivery in the past month and they are 40% more likely than average to prioritize instant access.
3) The digital flagship
Your Uber Eats storefront is your flagship presence. Diners judge your brand by how you show up:
- Are your photos appetite-appealing?
- Are your offers relevant?
- Are you visible when browsing begins?
Restaurants that invest in creative, promotions, and premium placement don’t just capture orders—they build lasting impressions.
4) Delivery expands, not shifts, demand
A persistent myth says delivery cannibalizes existing channels. The reality: when the desired restaurant isn’t available on Uber Eats, 70% of consumers stay on the platform and order from another restaurant, while only 29% go directly to the restaurant’s site or app.
These are incremental occasions that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
Why this matters
The new path to purchase isn’t linear. It’s fast, digital, and platform-led. Winning means embracing three imperatives:
- Treat Uber Eats as your flagship storefront.
- Balance loyalty and discovery with Ads + Offers.
- Capture incremental occasions that expand your brand’s role in everyday life.
Delivery is no longer simply fulfillment. It’s growth.
Download the full report
Our new report, Restaurants on the New Path to Purchase, unpacks the research behind these shifts and provides a segment-by-segment playbook for growth.
Download the full report to see how your restaurant can win where diners decide—in the on-demand moment.
Posted by Uber Advertising