This sector went from being a pandemic lifeline to a central engine of restaurant growth. Mexico ranks as the second-largest market for it in Latin America.
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Delivery apps have grown enormously in importance across Mexico. According to Statista, in 2024 the country became the second-biggest market in Latin America for this industry, trailing only Brazil, with an estimated value of $2,530 million.
What served many businesses as a lifeline during the pandemic has now become one of the main supports for expansion in Mexico’s restaurant industry.
“At the beginning it was for survival,” recalls Doña Vero, owner of the eponymous traditional eatery in Mexico City. “But nowadays it’s a vital channel to reach more people and boost sales. We can’t imagine our business without delivery.”
SMEs driving the delivery economy
The sector’s growth is not accidental. While large restaurant chains remain significant players, delivery platforms have opened up access to a digital infrastructure that used to be expensive or out of reach for many smaller operators. This has allowed micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MiPymes) to participate in the online food market like never before.
Tomás Jaramillo, business development lead for Didi Food, points to a measurable effect: roughly 60% of the more than 70,000 restaurants on their platform are MiPymes.
The motivation for many of these businesses to join the platforms is simple — to increase revenue. Research from Quadrant Strategies found that 91% of the MiPymes affiliated with Uber Eats in Mexico reported higher revenues after joining the service, and 89% said the app helped them reach customers they otherwise would not have reached.
In the highly competitive home-delivery market in Mexico, Didi Food and Rappi stood out in 2024 for monthly active users (MAU), holding market shares of about 38% and 36%, respectively, according to Sensor Tower figures.
Delivery work also represents an income source for thousands of independent couriers across the country. On Didi Food alone, more than 360 million orders have been delivered across over 60 cities during the platform’s first five years in Mexico — a sign of the immense logistical, technological, and human network underpinning the service.
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For Doña Vero and Liliana, who runs Tlayudas el Tasajo, adopting digital tools was challenging but ultimately transformative.
“The learning curve was steep,” Liliana says. “At first I struggled to run promotions on Didi Food; I didn’t fully understand how the platform worked. Little by little I learned, and now I see it as an excellent tool to increase sales.”
The challenges ahead
There remain areas that need improvement. Liliana points out that some automated decisions made by platforms should involve consultation with the businesses before being applied.
“I understand that platforms use algorithms to automate certain actions, but sometimes promotions appear active that I never authorized,” she explains. “It feels like if a promotion performed well before, the system just reactivates it automatically.”
She adds that these automatic actions can erode profit margins, although she didn’t specify by how much.
Looking forward, the industry must also adapt to new social security rules for delivery couriers in Mexico. While these changes mark progress in labor rights, they also create regulatory and financial challenges.
The regulation, which takes effect in June 2025, stipulates that platform workers earning at least one monthly minimum wage will be entitled to full social security benefits. Those earning less will be classified as independent workers but will receive protection against workplace accidents.
This shift could directly affect prices paid by users or restaurants, since platforms will have to absorb additional employer and employee contributions — costs that could be reflected in higher delivery fees.
Moreover, debate continues over how social security will be calculated and whether couriers should be classified as employees or as independent contractors, an area that still lacks clear resolution.
As the market evolves, striking a balance between technological innovation, clear rules, and economic sustainability will be crucial so the model benefits restaurants, consumers, and couriers alike.
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Lucas Monroe tracks the latest trends in mobile and 5G innovation. His work spans hardware analysis, telecom breakthroughs, and ecosystem development in next-gen connectivity.