Investigating the emergence of third-party online food delivery in the U.S. restaurant industry: A grounded theory approach

This qualitative study explores the emergence of Third-Party Online Food Delivery (TPOFD) in the US restaurant industry. The study used grounded theory to obtain insight into the perspective of restaurant operators regarding TPOFD adoption through interviews with seventeen restaurant managers and owners who use and do not use TPOFD in their businesses. The results identified several emergent themes relating to motivations, experienced outcomes, and future strategies for adopting TPOFD. These findings were used to propose a conceptual model that describes the adoption of TPOFD in the restaurant industry. The data shows that while the tremendous consumer demand for TPOFD is a motivation factor to adopt TPOFD, many restaurants are deterred by various adverse outcomes, most notably, the high commission and service fees paid to TPOFD aggregators. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed in detail. Accepted version