No matter where you live, it seems almost every restaurant uses DoorDash for delivery services. With DoorDash, several restaurants can offer delivery services for the first time in business history.
But why do restaurants on DoorDash suddenly disappear sometimes? Is there a reason for this? I was also curious about the merchants on DoorDash, so I looked into it. Here’s everything I discovered!
Restaurants are unavailable on DoorDash because they temporarily pause delivery orders, it’s past delivery hours, it’s too busy, the restaurant now uses its own delivery drivers, or DoorDash became too expensive for the merchant in [currentyear]. Occasionally, restaurants are removed from DoorDash because they were fake and trying to scam customers, although this is rare.
If you want to learn more about why DoorDash restaurants suddenly become unavailable, what ghost kitchens are, how many restaurants use DoorDash, and more, keep on reading! I’ve researched everything you need to know!
Although it can seem like it happens out of the blue at random chance, there are specific reasons why some restaurants disappear from the DoorDash platform.
Typically, there’s nothing a customer can do to resolve the issue. With that, here are some of the most common reasons why restaurants disappear from DoorDash’s platform.
DoorDash Is Too Expensive for the Restaurant
One reason a restaurant may choose to suspend DoorDash delivery services is because of the increased expenses that come with it.
That said, DoorDash merchants experience increased labor costs, order volume, and delivery commissions (15-30%) when using the food delivery service.
So, even though a merchant will experience a higher sales volume, it may not be making enough money to continue using DoorDash.
Therefore, the restaurant will opt to take its name off of DoorDash’s platform.
The Restaurant Has Delivery Drivers
Another common reason restaurants disappear from DoorDash is because they start offering their own delivery drivers instead of using DoorDash.
With that, there are several benefits for a restaurant delivering its orders instead of a third party.
For example, the restaurant has better control of its brand, and doesn’t have to worry about DoorDash messing up orders or providing poor delivery service.
Also, merchants can keep all of their delivery profits when they choose not to use DoorDash.
Still, even if a restaurant wants to deliver its own orders, it can use DoorDash’s platform to boost order frequency.
DoorDash Used the Restaurant’s Brand Without Permission
There are select restaurants on DoorDash’s platform that didn’t receive permission to be there.
That said, DoorDash sometimes creates landing pages for restaurants, regardless of whether or not they’re partnered with DoorDash.
Of course, the landing pages don’t work, but DoorDash receives increased customers because of it.
So, if you see that some restaurants “aren’t in your delivery area” or are “closed,” this is the reason why. Typically, the restaurant only gets taken off DoorDash when they sue the company.
It’s Past the Restaurant Delivery Hours
If you try to place an order after a restaurant’s delivery hours, the DoorDash app won’t let you. So, if you don’t see your typical restaurant on DoorDash, it may be past the delivery hours.
Sometimes, you can still place an order for pick-up, even if the restaurant no longer accepts delivery orders.
Restaurant Had a Poor DoorDash Experience
Sometimes, DoorDash merchants suspend their partnerships because of poor experiences using the platform.
This could be for any number of reasons, including poor customer service, late deliveries, food quality, etc.
Essentially, if a restaurant receives numerous complaints about delivery orders, it will choose to suspend them altogether.
Restaurant Temporarily Paused Orders
When a restaurant gets extremely busy, DoorDash gives the kitchen staff the option to pause orders temporarily.
This way, the restaurant can catch up on orders and ensure customer satisfaction. However, you won’t be able to order food from the restaurant when it pauses orders.
Are There Fake Restaurants on DoorDash?
Unfortunately, there can be fake restaurants on DoorDash, although this is extremely rare.
Also, when DoorDash discovers a phony restaurant on the platform, the company immediately removes it. However, what’s more prominent on DoorDash are ghost kitchens.
That said, a ghost kitchen is when a big-chain restaurant poses as a local restaurant, only offering delivery services.
However, the food from the so-called “local restaurant” is actually made in the same kitchen as a larger chain restaurant.
So, customers think they’re supporting a small business, but it’s essentially just a disguise by more famous chain restaurants.
How Many Restaurants Are on DoorDash?
Currently, there are over 300,000 restaurants that use DoorDash! Further, DoorDash includes fast-food restaurants, sit-down restaurants, convenience stores, liquor stores, and flower shops.
The number of restaurants available for you depends on your location, as there are more restaurants available in larger cities than there are in small towns.
How Do Restaurants Register on DoorDash?
All restaurants have to do is complete the signup process to become available on DoorDash.
Once DoorDash approves the restaurant’s application, they receive an onboarding email that explains how DoorDash works.
Additionally, the restaurant gains access to the Merchant Portal, which includes information about pricing, business hours, activation processes, and more.
After that, restaurants can use the Merchant Portal to track orders, record sales, etc., all in one place.
Overall, DoorDash makes it incredibly easy for restaurants to start using the food delivery service.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on how late does DoorDash deliver, DoorDash late delivery, and DoorDash wrong order.
Conclusion
If you notice a restaurant is no longer available on DoorDash, this can be for several reasons. Most often, it’s because DoorDash became too expensive for the restaurant to use.
However, it could also be because the restaurant decided to use its own delivery drivers for orders. Also, there are occasional fake restaurants on DoorDash, which the company tries to delete as soon as it notices.
