Delivery apps changed how people order food. They also changed how much restaurants keep from each order. If you’re deciding between the apps, ordering on your own website, or both, here’s how they compare.
How delivery apps work
Apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub list your menu, take the order, handle payment and send a driver. In exchange, they charge a commission on each order. Depending on the plan you choose, that commission is commonly somewhere around 15% to 30% of the order, sometimes plus payment fees. Check the current terms for your area before you sign up, because plans change.
What the apps are good at
- Reach. Millions of people open these apps every day and browse what’s nearby. New customers can find you there.
- Drivers. You don’t need your own delivery staff.
- Little setup. You can be live fairly quickly.
What they cost you beyond the commission
- Customer details. The app usually keeps the relationship. You often can’t contact those customers again with a special or a new dish.
- Price pressure. Many restaurants raise app prices to cover fees, which can make you look more expensive.
- Loyalty to the app. Customers get used to ordering from the app, not from you, and the next time they may scroll to someone else.
What ordering on your own website changes
- Lower cost per order. Ordering tools from your point-of-sale company or a dedicated ordering service usually charge a monthly fee or a small per-order fee instead of a large commission. Compare the actual numbers for your sales.
- Your customers stay yours. You get their name and contact info and can invite them back.
- Your prices, your rules. You decide on pickup times, minimums, specials and combos.
- A better place to send people. Your Google profile, Instagram and flyers can all point to one ordering link.
What it takes
Ordering on your own site works best for pickup, and for delivery if you have drivers or use an on-demand driver service through your ordering tool. You’ll also need to tell people about it, because customers won’t find your ordering page on their own the way they browse an app.
The setup most restaurants use
- Stay on one or two apps to reach new customers
- Add online ordering for pickup on your own website
- Point your Google profile’s “Order online” button, your Instagram bio and a QR code on your bags to your own ordering page
- Give regulars a reason to order direct, like a small discount or a free side for ordering on your site
Over time, more of your repeat customers move to your own ordering, and you keep more of every sale.