Online ordering for restaurants: direct ordering vs delivery apps.

There are two main ways for customers to order from you online:

• Delivery apps such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat. Customers order through the app, and the platform usually handles delivery, payment and customer service.
• Direct ordering through your own website or ordering system. Customers order from you, you take payment, and you either deliver yourself, use a delivery partner, or offer collection.

Most successful restaurants don’t pick one. They use apps to reach new customers and direct ordering to keep regulars ordering in a way that costs less.

Delivery apps are popular for good reasons:

• Reach. Millions of people open them when they’re hungry and haven’t decided where to eat.
• Delivery handled. You don’t need your own drivers.
• Trust and payments. Customers already have accounts and cards saved.
• Quick to start. Once you’re approved, you can be taking orders fairly quickly.

For a new restaurant or a takeaway in a busy area, the apps can bring orders you’d never get on your own.

The trade-off is cost and control:

• Commission. Platforms take a percentage of each order, which varies by platform, plan and whether they deliver. Check current terms carefully, because on a typical order it can take a large share of your margin.
• Customer data. The platform owns the relationship. You often can’t contact the customer again or build a loyalty list.
• Competition. Your listing sits next to every other restaurant nearby, and promotions can become a race to the bottom.
• Pricing. Many restaurants raise app prices to cover commission, which customers notice.

None of this makes apps bad. It just means you shouldn’t rely on them for every order.

Direct ordering means customers order from you, usually through a button on your website or Google Business Profile.

Pros:

• You keep more of each order, paying card fees and your ordering system’s costs instead of a large commission.
• You own the customer list, so you can send offers and build loyalty.
• Your brand comes first, with no competitors next to you.

Cons:

• You need to bring customers to it yourself, through your website, Google, Instagram and in-store promotion.
• If you deliver, you need drivers or a delivery partner. Collection-only is often the easiest start.
• You handle customer service and refunds.

A common, practical approach:

• Stay on one or two apps for discovery and new customers.
• Promote direct ordering to regulars, especially for collection, with a small reason to use it, such as a slightly better price or a loyalty reward.
• Put direct ordering first on your website, with app links as a second option for people who prefer them.
• Use packaging and receipts to tell app customers they can order direct next time.

Over time, the aim is to move repeat customers to direct ordering while the apps keep feeding you new ones.

Whichever mix you choose, your website should make ordering obvious, especially on mobile:

• An “Order now” button at the top of every page.
• A real web menu with prices and dietary labels, not a PDF.
• Clear collection and delivery areas, times and minimum order amounts.
• Opening hours that match Google exactly.
• Links to your app listings for customers who prefer them.

On restaurant sites I’ve designed, such as Tex Mex LDN, menus, ordering links and booking sit right at the top. My restaurant websites page has more examples.

Many people search for food on Google Maps first. Make sure your Google Business Profile has:

• An up-to-date menu and photos.
• Your ordering link, pointing to direct ordering if you have it.
• Accurate opening hours, including holidays.

A complete profile and a fast website help you appear when people search for food nearby. Our Google Business Profile guide walks through it step by step.

• What does it cost: monthly fee, per-order fee, card fees, set-up?
• Does it handle collection, delivery or both?
• Can customers order ahead for a set time?
• Does it print or send orders to the kitchen the way you need?
• Can you export your customer list?
• Does it work well on phones?

If you’d like help, my website design Business package (£995) covers restaurant sites with menus and ordering connected to the tools you already use.

• Month one: set up direct ordering for collection, add an “Order now” button to your website and Google profile, and tell regulars.
• Month two: add a small incentive for ordering direct, such as a free side or loyalty stamp, and put a card in every app order bag.
• Month three: compare how many orders came direct versus through apps, and the cost of each. Decide whether to add your own delivery.

Keep app listings live throughout. The goal is balance, not a sudden switch.

Your menu is the most important page on a restaurant website. Make it easy to scan on a phone:

• Group dishes clearly, with short descriptions and prices.
• Mark vegetarian, vegan and allergen information consistently.
• Use real photos of your best-sellers, not stock images.
• Keep it as text, not a PDF or image, so it loads quickly and Google can read it.
• Update it the same day prices change.

• Use delivery apps for discovery, and direct ordering for regulars.
• Put an “Order now” button at the top of every page of your website.
• Keep your menu as fast, readable text with prices and allergens.
• Add your ordering link to your Google Business Profile.
• Measure direct and app orders monthly, and adjust your mix based on real numbers.