Bad weather can mean good business for restaurantsBad weather can mean good business for restaurants

As with many industries, inclement weather can be detrimental to a business owner’s sales. For the restaurant industry in particular, a dip in winter temperatures usually means a dip in sales. But an increasing number of operators are finding a way to keep their business robust, even as consumers are battening down the hatches and staying indoors as much as possible.

“Chicago can be very cold sometimes, and people don’t want to go out,” says Badara Diakhate, chef-owner of Badou Senegalese Cuisine. “Traffic is slow, yet at the same time, you see online ordering picking up.”

Diakhate has offered online ordering since opening his restaurant three years ago. As a small, independent operator he partnered with GrubHub, the nation’s leading onlin...