‘They want to get 30%’: Restaurant owner says third-party apps charge hefty fees

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - With temperatures very chilly this week and COVID cases on the rise, you might think of ordering-in food instead of dining out. But if you get your food through a delivery app, you’re not helping your favorite local spots as much as you may think.

Patrick Stamper is the owner of Beauvine Burger Concept and En Su Boca in Richmond. With every order, a card is included that shows what profits look like when you call in an order in comparison to when you order through the DoorDash delivery service.

“For a burger and fries, you keep $13 versus $10.50. Plus, you’re paying through DoorDash $19 for something that you can get for $13 if you simply call us,” Stamper said.

Stamper says the restaurants are charged about a 30% fee - sometimes more - on food when customers use third-party delivery apps.

“Restaurants are notorious with razor-thin margins.... any amount these third-party delivery services wanna take, they take your profit.”

Customers are also charged hefty delivery fees.

Stamper says it’s best to either pick up your food or call directly to see if restaurants offer their own delivery.

“The third-party companies have a very slick app, easy to use and they pull customers in, but everyone knows what happens when they order food for two people from a place and they feel like you’re ordering $25 or $30 worth of food, and they get to the end where they send their order in and it’s $50 to $60 bucks,” Stamper said.

Beauvine has also opened up a heated patio so diners can come out and enjoy, even though it is a little cold outside.

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