A customer enters a Cava restaurant in Pasadena, California, Feb. 6, 2023.Mario Tama | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesFast-casual chains Cava and Sweetgreen each said customers are ordering delivery less often and instead picking up their own food, in a signal that diners are growing more thrifty.Breaking a delivery habit is an easy way for budget-conscious consumers to cut back on restaurant spending. Delivery orders are typically more expensive, thanks to added fees and tips for delivery drivers. Sometimes restaurants even charge more for the food itself to offset the often-hefty commission fees they pay third-party delivery services.All of that makes ordering food for pick-up an easy way to save money. With the exception of a few weeks this summer when restaurant software provider Toast charged customers 99 cents for online orders, eateries don’t typically add fees for pickup orders. And, while some customers will be prompted for a tip when grabbing their own food, in an example of so-called “tipflation,” few will leave a gratuity on pick-up orders compared with delivery. Only 13% of consumers said they left tips when picking up takeout orders, according to a Bankrate survey from May 2023.But delivery orders have also become an important contributor to restaurants’ revenue because customers’ receipt totals are higher. Fewer delivery transactions can hurt those companies’ mix, the combination of food, beverages and fees that make up restaurants’ revenue.A shift away from delivery contributed to Sweetgreen’s weaker-than-expected sales in the second quarter, CFO Mitch Reback told investors on the company’s July 28 conference call. The salad chain reported quarterly revenue of $152.5 million, falling shorting of Wall Street estimates of $156.7 million.Cava’s second-quarter sales growth wasn’t hurt b …
