The difference is all in what is being delivered. The way customers value food is very different from if they're shipping say, a chair to their home. If a chair

The difference is all in what is being delivered. The way customers value food is very different from if they're shipping say, a chair to their home. If a chair costs $100 and you're paying $10 to ship it, no big deal. That's 10% of the cost. If a customer orders $10 worth of food and sees another $10 of fees, their interest in it decreases significantly - and they have many alternative ways to get food with less overhead. You're right about restaurant-specific options though. The economics are somewhat different and may work out more favorably, though I still suspect they're taking losses for the sake of gaining customer interest. There's no way delivery costs them half a pound!