What Texans Really Order When They Stay Home: Favor’s Third Annual Look Inside the State’s Delivery Habits

A fresh report that explains how Texans eat — and what it means for the people who feed them

Favor has released its third annual “How Texas Orders In” report, and it reads like a map of what Texans reach for when the kitchen closes or the week gets busy. The study pulls together a year of orders across cities from Austin to El Paso and shows clear patterns: certain cuisines keep winning, grocery orders have become a normal part of the app’s mix, and late-night requests still make up a lively slice of traffic.

For ordinary people, the report mostly confirms what you see in your neighborhood — cravings for comfort food, a steady appetite for convenience, and a growing reliance on delivery for everyday things beyond dinner. For restaurants, grocers and the delivery crews themselves, the findings point to small but meaningful shifts in when they need staff, which items to promote, and where partnerships could pay off.

What stood out this year: the big trends and what customers chose most often

The clearest headline is that classic delivery favorites stayed on top, but some surprises bubbled up. Comfort foods — think burgers, pizza and fried chicken — remain the backbone of orders. They are frequently paired with sides or bundled family meals, which customers favor on busy weeknights or for casual gatherings.

Grocery and quick-stop items are no longer a tiny add-on. Many Texans turned to Favor to fetch staples like milk and bread, as well as one-off items such as ice, batteries and last-minute party supplies. That means delivery is increasingly about filling gaps, not just replacing restaurant meals.

Alcohol and convenience-store runs kept growing, especially later in the evening. Late-night orders still have an outsized cultural role — they’re where odd, viral and fun requests often happen. Weekends saw spikes for group-style orders and shareable plates. On weekdays, the busiest times shifted slightly toward early evening, as customers chose delivery to save time after work.

Geography mattered. Big metros showed more variety in cuisine choices, while smaller cities leaned harder on comfort staples and grocery deliveries. Families and roommates were a key customer group; larger orders for several people rose noticeably compared with single-plate picks.

Where the numbers come from and how Favor put the report together

The report is based on a year’s worth of orders placed through Favor’s platform across Texas. The company aggregated and anonymized the data to show broad trends without naming individual customers. It compares this year’s patterns with past trends to highlight what changed and what didn’t.

The data covers a mix of big and small cities, capturing both urban cores and suburban neighborhoods. The methodology focuses on categories of items and timing of orders rather than exact sales figures, which helps point to behavior shifts — like more grocery runs or growing late-night demand — rather than raw revenue totals.

How restaurants, delivery crews and grocers could feel the effects

Restaurants can use this report to think about menus and hours. If family bundles and shareable plates keep rising, kitchens that add simple, delivery-friendly combos may see steadier orders. Grocers and corner stores should note that quick deliveries for essentials are now part of the regular mix; that makes small assortments and visible add-ons more valuable.

For delivery crews, the spread of grocery and convenience orders changes the day-to-day work. Groceries often require different handling than hot food, and more frequent, smaller stops can change route planning. That suggests a chance for apps and businesses to rethink batching, pay models and training to match what customers now expect.

Local economies get a subtle boost when neighborhoods rely on delivery to fill gaps — especially in places with fewer brick-and-mortar options. At the same time, smaller restaurants may feel pressure on margins if delivery grows faster than in-house sales, unless they adapt pricing and portioning for the channel.

People’s favorite odd and memorable orders that made this year fun

Beyond the steady trends, the report includes plenty of human moments. There were orders for whole-party spreads that became last-minute celebrations, runs for emergency party supplies like ice and extra cups, and the kinds of late-night combos that make delivery apps part treasure chest, part convenience store.

Those quirky requests matter because they show delivery is now woven into everyday life. It’s not just about dinner — it’s about solving small problems fast, feeding a crowd, or rescuing a plan that was running out of time. For businesses that pay attention, that is an opportunity as much as an insight.

Sources

• prnewswire.com