Pizza Trends: The Impact of Third-Party Delivery

Pizza delivery has come a long way from a simple phone call and a 30-minute wait. Today, customers expect speed, accuracy, and a hot, fresh pizza every single time. But with third-party drivers now handling a significant share of deliveries, how does that impact customer satisfaction and brand loyalty?

The 2026 Pizza DELCO Study set out to answer this question, analyzing how different delivery models stack up. And this research looked strictly at who fulfilled the delivery after an order was placed directly through the pizza brand.

With customer expectations evolving and competition heating up, brands need to understand how third-party delivery is shaping the whole QSR experience. Our latest study uncovers the key pizza trends that impact customer satisfaction in the pizza industry. 

Explore all the key takeaways from our Pizza DELCO study here: Pizza Trends Shaping Delivery and Carryout in 2026..

What the Data Says About the Pizza Delivery Experience

1. Late deliveries caused a 23 percentage points drop in satisfaction scores

Timing is Everything. A few extra minutes in delivery time can be the difference between a happy customer and a bad review. So, how long is too long in the fast-moving world of pizza trends? 

Our study found that:

• When delivery times exceeded 40 minutes, satisfaction began to drop. Dissatisfied customers averaged wait times of 59 minutes and 24 seconds.
• Apps which had real-time order tracking showed a 6.1 percentage points higher satisfaction with speed of service. 

So, what’s the sweet spot for pizza delivery timing? Download the study to find out. 

2. Warm pizzas boost satisfaction ratings by nearly 54 percentage points

When your customer has been waiting eagerly to dig into a delicious pizza, nothing ruins the experience faster than a cold slice that was supposed to be warm and fresh.

Insights from the report show:

• Food temperature scores were 14% lower for brands that frequently used third-party drivers compared to pizzerias that were never observed to use third-party delivery fulfillment.
• Large pizzerias maintained food temperature better, scoring 96.6%, while mid-sized chains averaged 84%, which is an increase from 80% in 2025.
• Our data also highlights differences in food temperature ratings by pizza chain based on insulated bag usage by third-party drivers.

Keeping pizzas hot is a shared responsibility between brands and their delivery partners. Temperature is a core component of food quality, which 66% of consumers rated as the number one priority when choosing where to order from. 

Grab our Third-Party Delivery Report for more on how these services provide solutions to maintain food temperature.

3. OSAT score was 76.7% when brands were observed to frequently use third-party delivery

Every interaction shapes the customer's overall satisfaction (OSAT) from the moment an order is placed to when it’s delivered. Order accuracy and driver friendliness play a big role, but when third-party delivery is involved, brands have less control over these key moments, and yet customers still associate the entire experience with the brand itself.

Pizza statistics show that:

• Overall satisfaction was 10 percentage points higher for customers ordering from pizza chains that were never observed to use third-party delivery over those that frequently used these services.
• A key consideration is that this difference was just 4.7 percentage points when compared to brands that occasionally use third-party delivery. 

Every detail, from a well-executed order to a friendly driver handoff, impacts customer perception. Want to see how these pizza trends impact your brand? Download the 2026 Pizza DELCO Study.

Curious what the data says about different delivery channels?
We break it down in our blog on in-house delivery vs. third-party delivery. 

The Customer Experience Considerations for Third-Party Pizza Delivery

Brand Presence in Third-Party Delivery

When customers receive a pizza, their only interaction is with the delivery driver, not the restaurant’s own staff. This makes the handoff experience a critical moment in shaping their perception of the brand.

The study found that mid-sized pizza chains rely more on third-party drivers, making consistency in service and professionalism a vital consideration. While driver friendliness can enhance the experience, it varies depending on who delivers the order. 

To maintain customer satisfaction, ensuring food quality, accuracy, and a professional handoff is essential, even when delivery is outsourced.

Customer Interaction Variability

Pizza is personal, and great service is a big part of the QSR experience. However, when third-party drivers handle deliveries, service levels can vary.

Unlike restaurant staff, third-party drivers operate independently and are not trained in specific brand service standards, which can lead to differences in customer interactions.

In the 2026 study, delivery driver friendliness for large chains increased to 87.3%, up from 85.3% in 2025, while mid-sized chains saw a year-over-year decline of 3.5 percentage points. Performance also varied by brand within each group. Marco’s Pizza, a large chain, recorded an increase of more than 13 percentage points in delivery driver friendliness compared to last year.

These results highlight the challenge of maintaining a consistent service experience when delivery is fulfilled by a mix of drivers across locations and providers.

More detail on delivery interactions and brand-level performance is available in the full Pizza DELCO Study.

Speed of Delivery

The longer it takes, the more customers wonder if their food will still be hot, or if they should have ordered from elsewhere. Our report found that overall satisfaction was almost 50% higher when customers were happy with delivery speed. It also showed that satisfied customers received their orders almost 28 minutes faster than unsatisfied customers. The time gap reveals how much pizzerias must refine their delivery operations to reach the satisfaction threshold.

Meanwhile, orders delivered by pizza chains that were observed to only use restaurant-employed drivers arrived 8 minutes and 18 seconds faster than those observed to be frequently fulfilled by third-party drivers. While every delivery option has its perks, this reinforces the importance of efficiency in any delivery model to keep customers happy. As pizza trends evolve, delivery efficiency remains a top priority for customer satisfaction.

Read More on KPIs for Online Food Delivery and Evaluating Your Delivery Partner.

Using Customer Insights to Perfect Delivery Operations

Mystery Shopping: Gaining an Insider's Perspective

To truly understand the customer experience, seeing your service through their eyes is essential. Mystery shopping provides brands with firsthand insights, helping them fine-tune their service at every step.

It allows brands to:

• Evaluate delivery timeliness: Assess whether orders arrive within the promised time frames, a critical factor in customer satisfaction.
• Monitor food quality upon arrival: Ensure that pizzas maintain their expected temperature and presentation during transit.
• Assess driver professionalism: Observe the demeanor and professionalism of delivery personnel, reflecting directly on your brand's image.

With mystery shopping programs, brands can uncover hidden gaps in their delivery operations and provide customers with a more satisfying overall experience. Explore how you can utilize mystery shopping services for your business operations.  

Survey Tools: Turning Customer Feedback into Delivery Success

Understanding how customers truly experience delivery is key to making meaningful improvements that matter. Real-time feedback helps brands identify what’s working, what’s not, and where adjustments can enhance the customer journey.

Customer survey tools can provide direct insights into:

• Order accuracy: Identifying discrepancies between orders placed and orders received.
• Delivery speed satisfaction: Measuring customer contentment with the promptness of their deliveries.
• Overall experience: Gauging satisfaction levels concerning the entire delivery process, from ordering to receipt.
• Collect real-time feedback: Brands can track satisfaction trends across locations, delivery channels, and order types.

A quick response to a negative experience can mean the difference between losing a customer or winning them back. Sometimes, a micro-moment in the delivery process can shift the entire experience in your favor. With a powerful survey tool, turning feedback into better delivery outcomes becomes effortless.

The Future of Pizza Delivery

Third-party delivery isn’t an all-or-nothing decision. The most innovative brands use it strategically while leveraging the flexibility it provides.  At the end of the day, the best pizza brands deliver the moments people crave, the reliability they trust, and the experience that keeps them coming back for more.

Methodology: The Intouch Insight 2026 Pizza Delivery & Carryout Report is based on 600 mystery shops across 10 national pizza brands, split evenly between delivery and carryout, conducted between September and October 2025. Orders were placed directly with brands via phone or app.