Is Catering Dying on Gig Apps? - EVERYTHING You MUST Know!!

For a long time, catering was seen as the holy grail of gig work. Bigger payouts, less chaos, fewer trips, better customers — if you had access to catering, you were in a completely different lane than the average driver.

But over the past year, something’s shifted. The catering landscape on major gig platforms has started to change, and if you’ve been working consistently, you’ve probably felt it too. Catering isn’t dead — but it’s definitely not the guaranteed goldmine it once was.

So in this video, We are talking about:

• What’s changed on these platforms and Catering Gig Economy

• How it ACTUALLY is and Why it matters to drivers

• Everything in between!

Disclaimer: The content of this video does not contain and is never intended to be legal, business, financial, tax, or health advice of any kind, This video is for entertainment purposes only. It is advised that you conduct your own research and consult with qualified professionals before applying anything you find online. 

I also want to be clear that everything we are going to go over is very market dependent, and what applies to me and my market may not apply to you.

DrivenWyld/YouTube

Also I want to make it clear that the primary focus on this video is going to be catering apps that primarily focus on ezCater, not the EVERYTHING platforms that are Doordash UberEats and Grubhub, that doesn’t exclude them but they aren’t the primary focus.

Volume and Consistency Are Dropping

Catering used to mean a steady stream of large, well-paying orders. Regular lunch runs for corporate clients, big weekend events, repeat customers — it wasn’t just profitable, it was reliable.

Lately, though, many drivers are reporting the same pattern: fewer quality catering offers. While orders still exist, the payouts often don’t match the time commitment or service standards expected for catering. 

Many runs now pay the same—or even less—than what a driver could earn doing one or two efficient on-demand deliveries. For most experienced drivers, it simply isn’t worth scheduling extra time or holding themselves to higher catering standards for such weak compensation.

One big reason is oversaturation. Platforms have loosened their catering access requirements, allowing far more drivers into the pool. Where catering used to feel like a specialized tier, now it’s a crowded room of drivers all waiting for the same limited supply.

On top of that, some restaurants have started moving away from using gig apps for catering altogether, either bringing deliveries in-house or working with dedicated third-party logistics. That means fewer large orders are flowing through the apps to begin with.

The Platforms Themselves Are Shifting

It’s not just the volume — it’s the way the apps are treating catering.

In the past, catering came with better base pay, priority dispatch, and sometimes specialized support. It felt like a distinct category. But now, more and more catering jobs are being treated like standard orders:

Base pay isn’t much higher than normal — if it exists at all. Depending on the platform, there may be no true base pay for catering. Some apps simply forward the tip as the “total payout,” others use a flat $5, and a few have a general minimum, but seeing anything beyond that is rare. The days of reliably high base catering payouts are mostly gone.

Priority or “Preferred Driver” programs aren’t what they used to be — if they even existed in a meaningful way to begin with. On many platforms, these programs have been quietly restricted, watered down, or removed entirely, and they no longer guarantee consistent work. In some cases, their removal has even led to bot problems and an unrealistic level of competition, where drivers are forced to stare at blank screens waiting for drops.

Many platforms have also rolled out “exclusive offers”, which are marketed like perks but often don’t live up to the name. These offers are frequently:

• Low-quality orders disguised as special opportunities to nudge drivers into taking undesirable work, or

• Time-gated windows where you’re the only one who can see the order — but only for a few minutes, forcing you to constantly monitor the app to avoid missing anything.

But the biggest shift isn’t in driver perks — it’s in who controls the orders.

Many restaurants are starting to handle their high-value catering orders in-house, cutting out the middlemen entirely. Instead of relying on gig platforms for these larger payouts, restaurants are using their own staff or private delivery contractors to keep the full profit.

As a result, catering drivers are often assigned to large orders, only for those orders to be canceled shortly after because the restaurant decided to handle it themselves. This is becoming increasingly common, and it wastes drivers’ time while signaling a shift in how restaurants view third-party delivery: useful for smaller jobs, but unnecessary for their biggest, most profitable ones.

Meanwhile, platforms are responding by trying to get deeper into the restaurants themselves. Many are focusing on becoming the web host and direct POS integrator, positioning themselves as the order infrastructure rather than the delivery provider. This way, they still get a small cut of the transaction without relying on gig drivers to complete it.

This shift in control means fewer true catering opportunities for drivers — not necessarily because the demand is gone, but because the apps and restaurants are cutting us out of the loop.

Customer & Client Behavior Has Changed Too

The driver-customer dynamic for catering isn’t what it used to be either.

Businesses are tightening budgets, and tips that were once generous are starting to flatten out. A $150 order that once came with a $25–$30 tip might now be $5 or even nothing at all. Some companies are simply treating catering like standard delivery — expecting the same service but with less appreciation or compensation.

You’ll sometimes hear on-site reps say they want to tip more, but “company policy” won’t allow it. In reality, this usually means the company decided not to include gratuities in their catering structure to cut costs, leaving drivers to do more for less. It’s not always the individual rep’s fault, but the end result is the same: lower driver compensation on orders that used to pay reliably.

On top of that, some of these clients are ordering less frequently altogether, whether due to budget cuts, changes in staffing, or switching to in-house solutions. Even if you used to count on certain corporate clients or regulars for steady catering income, their reduced order volume directly affects the pool of opportunities available to drivers.

There’s also been a rise in last-minute, smaller catering orders, which can tie up a driver for just as long but for far less pay. This shift in behavior makes many catering runs feel less worth it, especially when compared to high-efficiency regular deliveries.

What This Means for Drivers

None of this means catering is “over.” There are still good orders out there. But it does mean that treating catering as a cornerstone of your income the way drivers once did is no longer reliable. Catering has always worked best as a staple within a broader gig portfolio — ideally across multiple apps — rather than as a primary income source.

The drivers who succeed in this environment are the ones who adapt:

• They don’t depend solely on catering to make their day.

• They know how to multi-app smartly to fill in gaps.

• They understand which catering runs are worth their time and which aren’t.

• They diversify their gig portfolio, mixing platforms and income streams rather than relying on a single one to stay afloat.

• They treat the gig economy as an income bridge to what would be a long term goal and not the goal — using it to fund, build, or transition into longer-term goals that will sustain their income independently from their activity.

Having a clear exit strategy is essential. Whether that’s moving toward traditional business ownership, specialized contracting, or another professional path, the drivers who think ahead won’t be left scrambling when these shifts become even more pronounced.

This is exactly why I created the Build Your Own Delivery Service Provider Course, or more appropriately, I had collaborated with High level professionals with the necessary experience to create a step by step guide to create a six figure earning business in as little as 90 days.

The course will guide you to:

• Creating Your Own Business Entity and Foundation

• Methods to Source Restaurants and Drivers with Game Changing Opportunities

• Work with Top of the Line Seamless technology for drivers and merchants

• Resources and Done for You Contracts to protect you financially

You will also have access to high level professional guidance to help you build your business foundation and support as you grow your business to reach greater heights.

Check the link in the description to sign up and get started on transforming how businesses serve customers and how gig workers will get greater opportunities with you! We are excited to help you secure your financial future.

Regardless of whether you buy into the course or not, it is still important to have SOMETHING, because the drivers who cling to the old model — waiting around for the “big one” to hit — are burning valuable hours while others keep moving forward.

That said, catering isn’t dead — but it’s evolving, and it’s evolving fast. Just last year, platforms like DeliverThat were making positive changes, such as eliminating the tip pooling system for ezCater orders, a move drivers had been waiting on for years. 

Fast forward to this year, and we’re now talking about those same catering opportunities shifting away from gig workers entirely, as platforms and restaurants restructure their models.

This rapid change also creates openings for other apps to step up. For a long time, DeliverThat was my top catering platform. But now — even after some rough experiences with them in the past — Skipcart has been consistently feeding me orders, and Foodfetched has maintained a stable dynamic. Their consistency has made them valuable parts of my current strategy. Still, with how quickly platforms are changing their systems, even these dynamics could shift next.

That’s why adaptability matters. The pace of change is accelerating, and drivers who pay attention to these shifts and pivot strategically will come out ahead. By treating catering as one lane in a broader strategy, instead of relying on it as the main engine, you put yourself in a position to grow with the industry, not get left behind.

If you would like to add some other perspective to How Catering is for Gig Apps today, feel free to email me: drivenwyld@gmail.com and who knows? Maybe your email or perspective and be featured in a post as well!