Toronto restaurants may have more leverage in the food delivery app ecosystem than previously recognized, according to new research from Field Agent Canada that challenges conventional wisdom about the relationship between restaurants and third-party delivery platforms.
The findings, which show 60% of Canadians used at least one food delivery app in 2024, reveal that consumer loyalty lies primarily with restaurants rather than with specific delivery platforms.
“The general big takeaway is that there’s no real loyalty to a platform,” said Jeff Doucette, General Manager at Field Agent Canada, in an exclusive interview. “Most users have all three, or at least two apps. They really seem to be chasing their favorite restaurants and it has almost nothing to do with what is their favorite app.”
This insight represents what Doucette describes as an “aha moment” that could shift how restaurants approach their delivery strategy and negotiate with platforms like Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes, and DoorDash.
Field Agent’s research found that 62% of delivery app users utilized multiple platforms in 2024, with Uber Eats emerging as the market leader at 77% usage among app users. When forced to choose a preferred platform, 51% selected Uber Eats.
Despite these preferences, Doucette emphasized that consumers will readily switch between apps to access their preferred restaurants. “If my favorite restaurant is not on app X, then I will switch to app Y to follow my restaurant,” he noted, adding that this behavior challenges the narrative around fees that restaurants pay to the apps.
“It really challenges this whole idea about the fees that restaurants pay to the apps when the data that we’ve collected seems to say that if my favorite restaurant is not on app X, then I will switch to app Y,” Doucette said.
While delivery apps were gaining traction pre-pandemic, COVID-19 lockdowns dramatically accelerated consumer adoption and changed how Canadians think about foodservice.
“I think pandemic was definitely a booster. It changed the way that we think about food service,” Doucette explained. “I’m still somewhat shocked when I walk down my hallway at seven in the morning in my building and someone has had McDonald’s delivered to their home at seven a.m. on a Tuesday morning.”
He noted that Canadians initially viewed ordering through delivery apps as a way to support restaurants during lockdowns, further cementing these platforms in consumer habits.
The research uncovered significant regional variations in delivery app usage, with Quebec leading at 70% adoption, while Atlantic Canada showed the lowest penetration at 46%. Ontario came in at the national average of approximately 60%.
Doucette attributed Quebec’s high adoption rate to several factors: “Quebec was locked down super hard. It was the worst of the restrictions for quite a while. And potentially that drove penetration. You also have Quebec being very much a food culture, a different sort of social context around food than the rest of Canada.”
These regional insights provide valuable market intelligence for both restaurants and delivery platforms looking to expand their presence in specific markets.
As delivery becomes a more significant revenue stream for restaurants—with some operators reporting 30-50% of revenue coming from delivery—restaurants are grappling with how to adapt their physical spaces and operations to accommodate this new reality.
“A delivery driver awaiting a pickup is a roadblock in your restaurant,” Doucette observed. “They’re standing somewhere, there isn’t a specific space for them. They’re just kind of there with their bag, looking out of place.”
More restaurants are now creating separate entrances and dedicated waiting areas for delivery, recognizing that the pickup experience affects service quality. “If you can make that experience better for delivery drivers, doesn’t that increase your downstream service to your end customer?” Doucette questioned.
While delivery apps present profitability challenges for restaurants due to fees, they also offer valuable discovery opportunities, particularly for independent restaurants that might otherwise struggle to reach a broader audience.
“It expands your universe beyond your neighborhood, beyond the streets that you’re used to,” Doucette said. “I don’t even know where it is on the map, but they’ll deliver to me for 99 cents. I’ll give it a try.”
Some restaurants are finding creative ways to maintain a direct connection with customers despite the intermediary nature of delivery apps. “Restaurants that I frequent through apps only because they’re sort of inconvenient for me to get to, they offer me in the bag—outside of the driver—a coupon for when you actually come into the restaurant,” Doucette shared.
One critical area where restaurants are currently falling short is tracking the actual delivery experience after food leaves their establishment. According to Doucette, this represents a significant blind spot and opportunity for improvement.
“Restaurants lose the visibility of what that experience is like once the bag leaves their restaurant,” he explained. “It’s a huge area where food service companies should be investing in understanding the downstream experience and also using that information to hold the third-party apps accountable.”
The lack of a feedback loop between consumer complaints and restaurants creates what Doucette describes as a “black hole” in the customer experience journey.
Field Agent Canada supports foodservice operators with market intelligence services including operational insights, concept testing, and mystery shopping programs that help restaurants adapt to evolving consumer expectations.
Dustin Fuhs is the Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication. He has over 20 years of experience in the retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality industries, including with The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Dustin was named as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025.