Hybrid Delivery™
Stay delivery-ready at all times
Hybrid Delivery routes every order to your own drivers or the best third-party provider, by your rules: margin where it matters, capacity when you need it.
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driver
The model
What changes when you go hybrid.
Your drivers take the orders that matter most. Third-party providers take the rest, by rules you set once.
Hybrid Delivery keeps delivery open.
When your drivers reach capacity, you may have to pause online orders or leave customers waiting. Delays and cancellations frustrate customers, and a bad delivery experience can keep them from ordering again.
Hybrid Delivery handles the backup automatically.
With manual backup, a dispatcher spends up to 10 minutes deciding where each order goes and requesting a driver. Orders wait, food goes out late, and every decision depends on one person keeping the whole board in their head.
Hybrid Delivery gives you more delivery options.
If you rely on just one third-party fleet, you may find yourself without coverage when that provider can no longer fulfill an order.
The engine
Set the rules once. Cartwheel routes every order.
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rule-based engineAI-powered
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Cartwheel tools
delivery providers
Rules showcase
Your rules, not a black box.
Over one billion possible rule combinations, set up in a few steps.
Cartwheel's Hybrid Delivery rules engine supports over one billion possible rule combinations, including:
- Order throttling: Cap orders per driver. 2 orders × 4 drivers = 8; the ninth routes to a third-party provider.
- Order size: Deliver in-house only above a minimum, for example orders of $250 or more.
- Compare pickup ETA: Dispatch whoever arrives fastest, in-house or third-party.
- Delivery radius: Beyond your limit, for example 3 miles, orders route to a third-party provider.
- Driver availability: If every in-house driver is busy or off, orders route out automatically.
- Time of day: In-house for lunch and dinner only, or weekends only. Your call.
- Dynamic zones: Zones that flex by order value: under $20 within 1 mile; $100 or more up to 5 miles.
- Stack the rules: Every rule works with the others, so one policy covers every shift and location.
Set rules globally, by region, or per location. A downtown store and a suburban store can run different policies under one brand standard.
HYBRID FOR CATERING
Why catering operators run hybrid.
Cover driver shortages
Keep the best orders in-house
Access specialized catering fleets
Your fleet
Everything your own fleet needs.
Top-rated driver apps for iOS and Android.
In-app onboarding, optimized routes, and one-tap navigation
Order checklists with proof of delivery: photo, signature, barcode, and ID scan
Chat where any available dispatcher can respond, with photos and order details
Masked calls and texts keep customer contact secure
One dispatch view for every order.
AI dispatch, batching, and route optimization with no manual assignment
Live map with every driver, order, and delivery zone in real time
One chat connecting the whole dispatcher team to every driver
Dispatch from web, iPad, or mobile, with in-house and third-party orders in one view
Third-party providers
Run third-party delivery without handing over the customer.
One integration connects you to Uber Direct, DoorDash Drive, Grubhub, Skipcart, and 50+ local fleets.
Dispatch on your terms, AI dispatch routes each order to the best provider based on your own rules
Up to 27% below direct rates, pre-negotiated across the network
Your brand on every order, branded tracking, promos, and a review prompt
$0.29 recovered per order, refund claims filed automatically when a DSP is late or cancels
Full visibility on every order
One live map. Every driver.
See every active delivery on a single live map
Know when a driver is approaching, so the order is ready on time
Real-time driver location, from dispatch to doorstep
Unified tracking across your fleet and every third-party provider
Available on desktop, tablet, and mobile
Drivers without smartphones are still tracked.
Device-based tracking
NEW PRODUCTA plug-in GPS tracker for drivers without smartphones. Full fleet visibility with no personal device needed.
Predictive AI tracking
No hardware required. AI-predicted ETAs keep drivers without a device on the map, using data from your POS integration.
One experience, every order
Every delivery looks like yours.
Whether your own driver or a third-party fleet delivers, customers get the same branded tracking page from checkout to doorstep. No generic provider screens, no gaps between in-house and third-party orders.
Branded tracking page with your logo
Promotional banners that drive repeat orders
Full control over what customers see
One consistent experience across every delivery, in-house or third-party
Show or hide the delivery provider's name
Every delivery ends with a review prompt
Feedback reaches your team in real time
Issues surface while you can still fix them
Collect reviews for food and delivery separately
Integration with third-party guest review collection tools
Integrations
Plug into what you already run.
POS and ordering
Delivery providers
Dozens of catering providersCatering
CateringCatering & Events
Results
Results operators see in their numbers.
Catering delivery
242 locations corporate and franchise
4.7+ driver rating
In-house delivery
65 locations launched
10 weeks to full rollout
Hybrid Delivery
430 locations onboarded
3 days to onboard thousands of drivers
Multi-channel catering
42% fewer fulfillment issues
More repeat orders
AI auto-dispatch
+24% on-time delivery
3 hrs of dispatch saved daily
Delivery automation
490% ROI
$2,300 saved per month
Catering delivery
50% increase in order volume
+930% average tip
National pizza chain
Pizza delivery
$100K+ saved per year
63→47 min delivery time
AI auto-dispatch
18 locations live in one month
3 hours saved daily
New Jersey fried chicken brand
Full-suite delivery
+52% delivery volume
$7,323 added revenue
Delivery visibility
100% of orders tracked
Full control on Toast
Hybrid Delivery
Unlimited backup drivers
Faster peak-hour deliveries
- Jason's Deli: catering delivery automated across 242 corporate and franchise locations, 4.7+ driver rating
- Portillo's: 65 locations launched, full rollout in 10 weeks
- Potbelly: 430 locations onboarded, thousands of drivers live in days
- P.F. Chang's: 42% decrease in fulfillment issues, more repeat orders
- California Chicken Cafe: +24% on-time delivery, 3 hours of manual dispatch saved daily
- Mandy's: 490% ROI, $2,300 saved per month
- Illegal Pete's: 50% increase in catering order volume, +930% average tip
- National pizza chain: delivery time down from 63 to 47 minutes, $100K+ per year in operational savings
- Wings Over: 18 locations live in one month, 3 hours saved daily
- New Jersey fried chicken brand: +52% delivery volume, $7,323 in added revenue
- Flyboy (UK): 100% of orders tracked on Toast
- MrJim's Pizza: unlimited backup drivers for peak-hour overflow
Trusted by the brands that move the most food.
With more than 60 Portillo's locations nationwide and the highest average unit sales volumes in the fast-casual industry, we have a lot of deliveries to manage. It's important that our brand is well-represented. Our experience with Cartwheel has been so positive that we invested in the company so they can further develop services with brands in mind.
Cartwheel allows us to handle the highest priority orders with self-delivery, ensuring the experience is seamless, delivered with P.F. Chang's hospitality and encouraging the customer to return for repeat deliveries through our native ordering platforms.
With Cartwheel, our delivery program is as customizable as our menu. Since implementing Cartwheel's tools, Potbelly has been able to offer faster, more efficient delivery to our customers from more than 400 locations nationwide.
Cartwheel allowed us to adjust our order volume to driver availability, eliminating the worry of having enough drivers to maintain delivery quality.
By implementing Cartwheel's unified delivery management platform, we've streamlined our operations, reduced the load on team members, and enhanced our ability to ensure the best, most efficient customer service across all ordering channels.
We continue to see real value in maintaining a direct relationship with our guests and investing in our in-house delivery capabilities. Third-party delivery provides important additional reach and flexibility, and Cartwheel helps us bring these approaches together while maintaining a consistent guest experience as we modernize our delivery operations.
What our customers say
Trusted by the brands that move the most food.
"Cartwheel allows us to handle the highest priority orders with self-delivery, ensuring the experience is seamless, delivered with P.F. Chang's hospitality and encouraging the customer to return for repeat deliveries through our native ordering platforms."
"By implementing Cartwheel's unified delivery management platform, we've streamlined our operations, reduced the load on team members, and enhanced our ability to ensure the best, most efficient customer service across all ordering channels."
"Chicago's love for pizza and football runs deep, and peak demand periods like Super Bowl weekend put real pressure on our operations. Cartwheel gives our store teams the control they need to make smart delivery decisions in real time while ensuring that every delivery feels like Giordano's, not a generic transaction. This is about protecting our brand while giving our teams the tools to succeed during our busiest moments."
"With more than 60 Portillo's locations nationwide and the highest average unit sales volumes in the fast-casual industry, we have a lot of deliveries to manage. It's important that our brand is well-represented. Our experience with Cartwheel has been so positive that we invested in the company so they can further develop services with brands in mind."
"We continue to see real value in maintaining a direct relationship with our guests and investing in our in-house delivery capabilities. Third-party delivery provides important additional reach and flexibility, and Cartwheel helps us bring these approaches together while maintaining a consistent guest experience as we modernize our delivery operations."
"With Cartwheel, our delivery program is as customizable as our menu. Since implementing Cartwheel's tools, Potbelly has been able to offer faster, more efficient delivery to our customers from more than 400 locations nationwide."
"Cartwheel allowed us to adjust our order volume to driver availability, eliminating the worry of having enough drivers to maintain delivery quality."
FAQ
Frequently
asked questions
What is Hybrid Delivery?
Hybrid Delivery means running in-house drivers and third-party providers at the same time, with rules deciding which orders go where. You set the conditions once: order value, distance, driver availability, time of day, throttle limits. Cartwheel routes every incoming order to whichever fleet fits it.
How does Cartwheel decide which fleet gets an order?
The rules engine evaluates your conditions on every incoming order and commits to a fleet in under one second per decision. Rules stack, so one policy can cover order value, distance, availability, and shift at the same time.
Do I need my own drivers to run Hybrid Delivery?
No. Many brands start fully third-party and add in-house drivers later. The same engine handles both, so adding a fleet is a rules change, not a systems change.
Can rules be different for each location?
Yes. Rules can be set globally, by region, or per location, so a downtown store and a suburban one can run different policies under the same brand standard.
What happens when all of my drivers are busy?
Driver availability is a rule. When every in-house driver is busy or off shift, orders route to a third-party provider automatically instead of queuing or forcing you to pause delivery.
Are third-party rates through Cartwheel lower than going direct?
Up to 27% lower. Rates are pre-negotiated across the network on aggregated client volume, and you pay no marketplace commission on in-house or third-party orders.
Does the customer see who delivered the order?
They see you. Every delivery, in-house or third-party, tracks on a page carrying your logo, your colors, and your promotions, followed by a review prompt that reaches your team in real time.
What do I need to get started?
Your existing stack. Cartwheel connects to Toast, PAR, Olo, Qu, ChowNow, MonkeyMedia, and Onosys, plus catering platforms including ezCater, Olo Catering, and Toast Catering & Events. Thousands of drivers can be onboarded in days.
Book a demo
See Cartwheel in action.
Talk to a Cartwheel expert about your delivery volume, your stack, and where orders are slipping through the cracks today.