The Champaign, Ill.-based sandwich chain went rogue when it boldly said it would never work with Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub. CEO James North said it doesn't make financial sense for the chain to hire another company to perform a service the brand has been doing since it was founded in 1983. 

“We just don’t trust anybody else,” he said.

About 2,800 restaurants employ 45,000 drivers who deliver sandwiches within 15 to 20 minutes, about twice as fast as a typical third-party order, North said. But there’s a caveat to Jimmy John’s speed: Orders, which account for one-third of sales, are only accepted for sites within five minutes of a store. North said he’s not blindly looking away from third-party partnerships, which if used, would greatly expand the store’s delivery radius. But after researching last-mile delivery options, he said he found the 20% to 30% fees prohibitive and delivery times too long.  

“This is not a high-margin industry,” North said. “Quite frankly, the math doesn’t work.”

Delivery is a hallmark of the Domino’s brand, but don’t expect the chain to supplement its in-house model with a third-party service anytime soon.

CEO Ritch Allison said this spring that the chain wouldn’t be pursuing third-party partnerships, even as some of its competitors, including Papa John’s, did.

“It’s not clear why I would want to give up the franchisee’s margin or data in the business and give it to someone who would ultimately use it against our business,” Allison said during an April earnings call.

Panera Bread tested third-party delivery partners but ultimately decided to build its own delivery force.

“Hiring our own drivers was the only way we could ensure that our delivery guests get the same high-quality experience they have come to expect from our bakery-cafes,” said Blaine Hurst, Panera’s president at the time, said of the decision in 2017.

Since then, Panera has seen digital sales soar and has expanded delivery to new markets and new meal times, including breakfast.

“I don't think we're missing out on anything,” Gene Lee, president and CEO of the Orlando, Fla.-based company, said during a fourth-quarter earnings call Thursday.

“I think this is still an immature business. There's a lot of discussion around whether it's incremental, it’s non-incremental. Where I want us to focus, and I want our teams to focus on, is creating a compelling in-restaurant experience that people want to come and visit.”

The company isn’t ruling out delivery altogether, however, as it is still testing third-party delivery at 400 units.

“Chances are, it is folly,” Firehouse’s CEO Don Fox said. “As the delivery story unfolds, the bad news for all involved is that the emergence of delivery services is NOT additive to the industry. Restaurant traffic — inclusive of delivery transactions — continues to decline. And as long as that is the case, on the macro level, the industry cannot sustain this business model. Something has to give.”

Still, both Firehouse’s corporate locations and franchisees use third-party delivery, he noted.

"Providing genuine hospitality and fresh, made-from-scratch food has always been our priority. We tested several delivery options when it first emerged on the scene and decided it’s not right for us,” said George McKerrow, co-founder and CEO of Ted's Montana Grill.

“First and foremost, I don't want to sacrifice the quality of our food. Quality will certainly suffer if it takes an hour to reach your door,” he said. “We pride ourselves on creating meaningful dining experiences, something that is impossible to control when you put your food and reputation into someone else's hands. We do have great online ordering and catering programs, which allow our guests to enjoy Ted’s on-the-go and with family and friends."