For delivery
December 11, 2024
Are you a new Dasher but uncertain when is the best time to Doordash? Look no further, as Whizz has got you covered.
While DoorDash allows workers to choose their shifts on their own, understanding the best times to DoorDash in NYC is crucial for increasing your profit and making money off of this food delivery app.
We’ve talked to several Dashers done some research and came to a conclusion.
Without further ado, here’s when you should DoorDash in NYC.
What time of day is best for being a Dasher?
First things first – you can always deliver food for DoorDash!
People need food and groceries 24/7, so you’re likely to have some business all day long – provided the local restaurants and shops are working in your chosen hour.
However, some hours are undoubtedly better than others.
While all people live their own lives, most of them still have a pretty similar schedule.
They work 9-to-5 jobs and go to bed around midnight before waking up early during work days so they can start their shifts.
This also means that most people will eat and require food around the same time. This means more work for delivery riders.
Most people who order food have lunch at the same time – typically during a break from their work.
Typical lunchtime in most companies is between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m, with the largest number of orders usually being made around 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Breakfast times are not so popular among NYC citizens, most likely because people are in a rush in the mornings.
They don’t have the time to wait for their food, so they’ll eat at home or buy food as they go.
Lunch and brunch times are a whole other story, and a large number of people prefer ordering food during this time.
Dinner is the most popular time of day when most people order food.
One of the best peak times for Dashers is between 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. In fact, many Dashers claim they only work during these 4 hours, as this is where the profit lies.
According to Statista, there are around 161 million people in the U.S. who order food regularly. A large number of them order food for dinner, once they come back home from work.
In general, while most people order between 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., the number of orders starts to decrease after that.
One main reason is that many restaurants close after 10:00 p.m. so people cannot order.
Of course, this exact time gap can vary depending on your local market. If you live in a city where most restaurants close sooner, you might notice the number of orders lowering much sooner.
Weekends are also good for delivery riders, as people are more likely to order food.
However, peak times tend to be more flexible, as people are no longer conditioned by their corporate working hours.
A good time for Dashing on the weekend is during lunch hours, which is typically a bit later than during workdays – between 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Dinner hours are quite similar as during the workdays, and this is between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
One thing that’s quite different from workdays, however, is that late-night deliveries are also a good time for Dashers.
Many restaurants work longer hours on the weekends due to the active nightlife, and a large number of people order food after going out.
As such, another peak time for Dashing is from 9:00 p.m. all the way to 1:00 a.m.
Keep in mind, though, that if you live in a city or even a district where the nightlife isn’t as active, late-night deliveries might not be as popular as in the heart of NYC.
Holidays are typically one of the best times to DoorDash in NYC, as the demand for food delivery tends to go through the roof.
A lot of people just do not like cooking or going out on holidays and would rather order in, particularly on main holidays when restaurants remain open and families or individuals celebrate at home.
People order more takeout during Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, and other special occasions, which is very profitable for Dashers.
Another good thing about dashing during holidays is that there may be fewer Dashers on the road, perhaps taking time off from work, which would ensure there is less competition in getting orders.
This mostly results in many more deliveries and higher earnings for those who dash.
As for the best times to dash, peak hours during holidays remain similar to those during weekends.
The busiest periods are around lunch between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM, around dinner from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and late-night orders most especially during celebratory events from 9:00 PM up to 1:00 AM.
Dasher’s experiences vary quite a bit depending on their market.
Members of a popular online forum typically agree that the time they get peak pay the most is typically between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. and between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on work days.
Others claim that dinner times are not as popular as they used to be, as people seem to prefer eating out instead of ordering food.
On the other hand, a few Dashers stated that they prefer delivering orders on weekend mornings, as there isn’t much traffic but the orders are still quite steady.
Dashers who work around 4 hours daily (typically between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.) have reported earning around $100 daily, except at the beginning of the work week, when people don’t seem to order as much.
As mentioned before, most delivery riders will profit no matter the time of the day. However, if you want to really make your time worthwhile, apply for Dashing at the hour when the order volume is high.
DoorDashers aren’t paid a fixed rate. Instead, their profit depends on the number of orders during the day. The more orders you get, the higher your profits.
This is why it’s important to pick the right time for Dashing.
Per the company’s new minimum wage requirements, Dashers in NYC will earn a minimum of $19.56 per hour. However, if you get a high number of orders, your hourly rate can be significantly higher.
In order words, you should always aim to deliver as many orders as possible if you wish to experience a significant profit.
Related: Why to get e-bike for delivery job
Working during peak hours helps Dashers deliver more orders in one hour.
Another thing that can help you increase your earnings is to get a proper electric bike.
An electric bike is a favorite transportation method for many delivery riders in NYC. A proper e-bike, such as Storm-2, can help you avoid heavy traffic, while being faster than a traditional bike.
With numerous rental options out there, you don’t even have to pay to own a bike. Simply contact a reputable rental company, such as Whizz, and reduce your work costs.
Contact Whizz and maximize your DoorDash earnings today.
Related: Best electric bike for pizza delivery
Generally, traffic in NYC is most chaotic during traditional rush hours when people are traveling either into the city to work or home from work. There is usually a morning peak from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM, while going into the city during rush hour is generally dense.
It gets even worse during late evening hours, between 4:30 PM and 7:00 PM, whereby working people leave their offices and head home.
There is also a pretty heavy midday flow of traffic from 11:00 AM up to 2:00 PM, as there are delivery trucks and increased taxis or rideshare entering the road.
Weekends are usually busier, especially on Friday evenings when people go out for social activities, adding to the usual congestion.
As mentioned before, DoorDash hourly rate can vary greatly depending on many factors, such as the distance between the restaurant and the delivery location, tips, certain bonuses and incentives and so on.
Working during peak hours can greatly increase your daily DoorDash earnings. Some Dashers Whizz had the chance to talk with reported earning up to $175 per day.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that not all Dashers have the same experience,
The slowest day of the week for DoorDash is normally Tuesday. Though food delivery typically picks up by the end of the week, midweek – especially on Tuesdays and occasionally Wednesday – orders take a dive.
This may be explained because people are less likely to indulge in takeout or delivery early in the week after the weekend and instead cook at home. Also, restaurants and food industries get fewer customers and orders on such days.
The implication of Tuesday's scenario is that there are fewer opportunities for Dashers compared to Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, when most restaurants can expect a high demand for food delivery.
For DoorDash, morning times might get moderately busy, though that greatly depends on the area and also the time.
Normally, NYC mornings are not as busy as lunchtime or dinner time; however, demand for early orders is still warranted due to breakfast orders.
Office workers, students, and early risers create orders from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM for breakfast sandwiches, coffee, and other types of morning food.
Some restaurants even go so far as to offer a special menu for breakfast during this time, which attracts orders.
