Why We Refer Every F&B Client to Revly (And Why You Need Both Social + Delivery Optimization)
In this guest post by Hamza, Head of Strategy at Donut media, he covers how social media and delivery app marketing combine to create a winning overall strategy for restaurants brands. He discusses the differences between the two channels and what he learned about running successful brands from looking at how delivery app optimization works.
Inside this article
- When clients started asking questions we couldn't answer
- What we learned from watching delivery optimization in action
- Why social media ≠ delivery strategy
- When we tell clients they need Revly more than they need us
- The bottom line
I'm Hamza, Head of Strategy at Donut Media.
We've worked with over 100 F&B brands in Dubai since 2019 - from global chains like Denny's to independent cafes and cloud kitchens.
We're really good at social media.
We build brands, create content that gets shared, and help restaurants go viral.
We're not delivery economists. And we're okay with that.
Here's why we partner with Revly instead of pretending we do everything.
When clients started asking questions we couldn't answer
A few years back, clients started coming to us with delivery problems.
"Our Instagram is growing, engagement is up, but delivery sales are flat. What are we doing wrong?"
"We're spending thousands on ads and content, but we're losing money on every order. Can you help?"
"Talabat orders are up 30%, but our profit is down. What's going on?"
These aren't social media problems. These are unit economics problems. Menu pricing problems. Platform optimization problems.
We could've winged it. Tried to figure it out. Added "delivery strategy" to our service list and charged for it.
But we realized something: we'd be mediocre at it, and there are people who do it better.
So we made a decision to focus on what we're actually good at (driving awareness, building brands, creating viral content), and refer out what we're not (delivery profitability and data-driven optimization).
Through connections in the F&B space, I met Amine, the founder of Revly.
Watched their work. Saw the results they were getting for restaurants.
They were solving the exact problems our clients had - problems we couldn't fix with better content or more Instagram posts.
That's when we started referring.
What we learned from watching delivery optimization in action
Here's a real example that changed how we think about this.
We worked with Levels Tea on a rebrand.
Custom tea packaging, better visual identity, content strategy that positioned them as premium.
The brand looked great. Social engagement was strong.
They also worked with a delivery optimization partner.
That partner analyzed their menu pricing, delivery zones, packaging costs, and platform performance.
Result: 5x sales growth in a month.
Not because of our rebrand. Not because their Instagram feed looked better.
Because someone optimized their delivery economics and told them exactly what to change.
That taught us something important:
Social media gets people interested, but delivery optimization makes it profitable.
You can have the best content in Dubai. You can go viral every week.
But if your unit economics are broken, you're just spending money to lose money faster.
Why social media ≠ delivery strategy
Most restaurants think social and delivery are the same thing.
Post good content, run some ads, orders go up. Simple, right?
Wrong.
Social media strategy is about:
- Visual storytelling
- Brand positioning
- Going viral
- Building awareness
- Creating shareable content
We've done this for clients like Il Caffe Di Roma's Snowman hot chocolate - a winter drink that went viral and drove real foot traffic.
Delivery optimization is about:
- Menu pricing and profitability
- Platform performance (Talabat, Deliveroo, Noon, Careem)
- CPC and promo optimization
- Packaging costs and logistics
- Customer acquisition cost vs lifetime value
- Data analysis and actionable insights
These require completely different skill sets.
We know how to make your shawarma look amazing on Instagram.
We don't know if you're losing AED 12 on every shawarma order because your delivery zone is too wide, or you're canibalizing your margin through by over discounting.
Revly knows that.
Here's the pattern we see with F&B clients in Dubai:
Good social + bad delivery strategy = lots of orders, no profit
You're popular. You're busy. You're losing money.
Bad social + good delivery strategy = profitable but invisible
You make money on every order. But no one knows you exist.
Good social + good delivery strategy = sustainable growth
People want to order from you. And when they do, you actually make money.
That's why we partner. We handle the first part. Revly handles the second. Together, it works.
When we tell clients they need Revly more than they need us
Here are the most common situations amongst out clients where delivery optimization often matters more than social media.
Early-stage cloud kitchens
If you're launching a delivery-only brand with no physical location, your immediate priority isn't going viral. It's making sure your delivery business model actually works.
Cloud kitchens can't compete with dine-in restaurants on social media budget. A big chain will outspend you 10x on content and ads. But on delivery platforms, you can compete if your pricing and operations are optimized.
We tell early-stage cloud kitchens: get your delivery economics right first, then invest in social.
Restaurants with delivery sales but no profit
If you're getting orders but bleeding money, more Instagram posts won't fix that. You need someone to audit your menu pricing, analyze your platform performance and ad spend really drill down into what's actually profitable.
That's not our job. That's Revly's job.
Brands expanding into delivery for the first time
If you've been dine-in only and you're launching delivery, don't just upload your menu to Talabat and hope it works. Delivery pricing is different. Packaging costs matter. Platform commissions eat into margins. Using in-app marketing tools to get maximum visibility and meet your revenue goals is a must.
You need a strategy, not just a listing.
The Bottom Line
At Donut Media, we specialize in social media and raising awareness. We help F&B brands go viral, build their presence, and create content that gets shared.
In my experience, Revly is the best platform at driving delivery profit. They optimize your menu, your pricing, your platform performance - the stuff that actually makes delivery sustainable.
You need both.
Social media without delivery optimization = lots of buzz, no profit.
Delivery optimization without social media = profitable but invisible.
______________________________
Hamza is Founder & Strategy Director at Donut Media, an F&B marketing agency in Dubai. Since 2020, he's helped over 100 restaurants and cloud kitchens grow through strategic social media, after building his own F&B startup that was covered by Khaleej Times and The National. Read more about the Donut Media team and explore our 5-star client reviews.
