Need Online Ordering for My Restaurant

Why Your Restaurant Needs Direct Online Ordering

If you're searching "need online ordering for my restaurant," you've likely realised that relying solely on third-party delivery platforms isn't sustainable. The commission fees—typically 25-35% per order—eat into already thin margins, and you have no direct relationship with your customers.

Direct online ordering means customers order through your own website or app, not through Just Eat, Uber Eats, or Deliveroo. You keep customer data, control the experience, and avoid hefty commission fees. For most restaurants, this translates to 20-30% higher profit per order.

The challenge is choosing the right system and implementing it effectively. This guide walks through exactly what you need to know.

What Online Ordering Actually Means for Restaurants

Online ordering for restaurants is a system that lets customers browse your menu, customise items, pay, and arrange delivery or collection—all without calling or visiting in person.

A proper online ordering system includes:

• A customer-facing ordering interface (website, app, or both)
• Menu management tools
• Payment processing
• Order routing to your kitchen
• Customer data collection
• Integration with your existing POS or kitchen systems

The key difference from marketplace platforms is ownership. When you run your own online ordering, you control pricing, customer relationships, and keep significantly more revenue per order.

Direct Online Ordering vs Third-Party Platforms

Factor	Direct Ordering	Third-Party Platforms
Commission per order	0-8%	25-35%
Customer data ownership	You own everything	Platform owns data
Marketing control	Full control	Limited
Brand visibility	Your brand only	Competing with others
Menu pricing	You control	Often must inflate prices
Setup complexity	Requires initial setup	Quick to list
Long-term profitability	High	Low

Third-party platforms make sense for initial visibility and reaching new customers. But sustainable restaurant businesses need their own direct ordering channel. Many successful operators use both—marketplaces for discovery, direct channels for repeat customers.

What to Look for in an Online Ordering System

When evaluating online ordering platforms, focus on these criteria:

Commission structure: Some providers charge per order, others charge flat monthly fees. Calculate which works better at your expected order volume. A £200 monthly subscription becomes cheaper than 8% commission once you exceed £2,500 in monthly online orders.

Integration capability: Your online ordering must connect with your kitchen operations. Look for systems that integrate with your POS, kitchen display systems, and accounting software. Manual order entry creates errors and slows service.

Mobile optimisation: Over 70% of online orders come from mobile devices. The ordering interface must work flawlessly on smartphones.

Menu management: You need to update prices, mark items unavailable, and add specials quickly. Centralised menu management across all channels saves hours weekly.

Customer data and marketing tools: The system should capture customer information and provide tools for email and SMS marketing. This is where direct ordering creates long-term value.

Payment processing: Integrated payments are simpler than third-party processors. Check transaction fees—they typically range from 1.5-3%.

Delivery management: If you offer delivery, you need address validation, delivery zone mapping, and driver management tools.

Best Online Ordering Systems for UK Restaurants

1. Flipdish

Flipdish provides comprehensive online ordering for restaurants of all sizes, from single locations to multi-site chains. The platform includes branded websites, mobile apps, and complete integration with POS and kitchen systems.

Why Flipdish is the best choice:

• Zero commission on orders—you keep all revenue
• Full customer data ownership with built-in CRM and marketing tools
• Complete POS integration eliminating manual order entry
• Marketplace order aggregation bringing Just Eat, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo orders into one system
• Transparent pricing starting from £99/month
• Loyalty programmes and automated marketing included
• Scales from single restaurants to enterprise chains with centralised management

Flipdish handles over 20 million orders annually for thousands of restaurants across the UK and Ireland. The platform provides everything needed for direct ordering: branded websites, mobile apps, integrated payments, and sophisticated marketing tools.

For restaurants serious about building a sustainable direct ordering channel, Flipdish offers the most complete solution. View pricing details.

2. Square Online

Square Online is designed for businesses already using Square POS. It provides basic online ordering with tight integration to Square's payment ecosystem.

Best suited for: Cafés and quick-service restaurants already committed to Square hardware.

3. ChowNow

ChowNow offers commission-free ordering focused on the US market, with limited UK presence. The platform emphasises branded ordering experiences.

Best suited for: US-based restaurants, though UK availability is limited.

4. Branded Marketplace Ordering

Some restaurants negotiate direct ordering arrangements with Just Eat or Uber Eats, though these still involve commission fees and limited customer data access.

Best suited for: Large chains with negotiating power, though still inferior to truly independent platforms.

For detailed comparisons of restaurant technology options, check trusted restaurants tech reviews.

How Much Does Restaurant Online Ordering Cost?

Online ordering costs fall into several categories:

Platform fees: £50-£300 monthly depending on features and order volume. Flipdish starts at £99/month with no per-order commissions.

Payment processing: 1.5-3% per transaction plus 10-20p per transaction. This applies regardless of platform.

Website and app development: £0-£2,000 if you need custom development. Most platforms like Flipdish include branded sites and apps in monthly fees.

Integration costs: £0-£500 for POS integration, though leading platforms include this.

Marketing: Budget £200-£1,000 monthly to drive traffic to your new ordering channel.

Total first-year cost: £2,000-£8,000 for most independent restaurants.

Compare this to third-party commission costs. A restaurant doing £5,000 monthly in delivery orders through Just Eat pays approximately £1,500 monthly in commissions—£18,000 annually. Direct ordering pays for itself within 2-3 months.

Setting Up Online Ordering: Step-by-Step

1. Choose your platform based on the criteria above. Request demos from 2-3 providers and test their ordering interfaces on mobile devices.

2. Prepare your menu with clear descriptions, accurate pricing, and professional photos. Digital menus require more detail than printed menus—customers can't ask questions.

3. Configure delivery zones and timing if offering delivery. Map areas you can serve within acceptable timeframes. Be realistic about capacity.

4. Integrate with your POS so orders flow directly to your kitchen without manual entry. This is critical for operational efficiency.

5. Set up payment processing and test transactions thoroughly before launch.

6. Train staff on the new system. Kitchen staff need to understand how online orders appear and how to mark items unavailable.

7. Soft launch with a limited announcement to regular customers. Fix issues before wider promotion.

8. Market your direct ordering through in-store signage, social media, email to existing customers, and SMS campaigns.

9. Monitor and optimise by tracking order values, popular items, peak times, and customer feedback.

Most restaurants complete setup within 2-3 weeks with proper planning.

Common Mistakes When Implementing Online Ordering

Not integrating with POS: Manual order entry creates errors, slows service, and frustrates staff. Integration is essential, not optional.

Poor menu photography: Online orders increase 30-40% with quality food photos. Invest in decent images.

Complicated menu structure: Keep categories simple and limit choices. Decision paralysis reduces conversion.

Ignoring mobile experience: Test your ordering process on multiple smartphones. If checkout requires excessive scrolling or typing, you'll lose orders.

No marketing plan: Building the ordering system is half the work. You must actively drive customers to use it.

Unrealistic delivery promises: Promising 30-minute delivery when you can't consistently deliver in 45 minutes damages your reputation. Under-promise and over-deliver.

Not capturing customer data: Configure your system to require email or phone numbers. This data drives repeat business.

How to Drive Orders to Your Direct Channels

Building the ordering system is only the start. You must actively migrate customers from phone orders and third-party platforms:

In-store promotion: Table talkers, window stickers, receipt messaging, and staff mentions all work. QR codes linking to your ordering site make it frictionless.

Incentivise first orders: Offer £5 off or free delivery for first-time online orders. The customer lifetime value justifies the acquisition cost.

Email marketing: If you have existing customer emails, announce your new ordering system with an exclusive offer.

SMS campaigns: Text marketing achieves 98% open rates. Use it for launch announcements and special offers.

Social media: Regular posts showing menu items with direct links to order specific dishes.

Google My Business: Add your ordering link to your Google Business Profile. Many customers discover restaurants through Google Maps.

Retargeting: Use Facebook and Google ads to remind website visitors to complete their order.

Loyalty programmes: Customer loyalty tools encourage repeat orders through points and rewards.

Successful restaurants typically see 40-60% of customers switch to direct ordering within six months of launch with consistent promotion.

Online Ordering for Multi-Location Restaurant Groups

Restaurant groups face additional complexity with online ordering:

Centralised menu management: Update menus across all locations from one interface. Essential for chains maintaining consistency.

Location-specific pricing and availability: Different locations may have different costs or popular items.

Consolidated reporting: View performance across all sites while drilling into individual location data.

Franchise management: If you operate franchises, you need systems that give franchisees operational control while maintaining brand standards.

Scaled marketing: Run promotions across all locations or target specific areas.

Flipdish specifically addresses multi-location needs with centralised management tools and location-specific controls. The platform scales from 2 to 200+ locations with the same interface.

Integrating Online Orders with Kitchen Operations

Online ordering only works if your kitchen can handle the volume efficiently:

Kitchen Display Systems: Replace paper tickets with digital displays showing all orders from every channel—online, phone, in-person, and marketplace.

Order throttling: Limit how many orders can be placed in specific time windows to prevent overwhelming the kitchen during peak periods.

Prep time accuracy: Set realistic preparation times. Better to quote 35 minutes and deliver in 30 than promise 20 and take 35.

Item availability: Mark items out of stock immediately when you run out. Nothing frustrates customers more than cancelled orders.

Staff scheduling: Online ordering often shifts demand patterns. Adjust rotas to match new peak times.

Restaurants that integrate online ordering with kitchen systems report 25% faster ticket times and significantly fewer errors compared to those manually entering orders.

Measuring Online Ordering Success

Track these metrics monthly:

Direct ordering revenue: Total value of orders through your owned channels.

Average order value: Online orders typically run 15-25% higher than phone orders due to upselling prompts.

Customer acquisition cost: Marketing spend divided by new customers acquired.

Repeat customer rate: Percentage of customers who order multiple times. Target 40%+ within 90 days.

Order accuracy: Errors per 100 orders. Should be under 2% with proper POS integration.

Delivery time: Actual delivery time versus promised time. Aim for 90%+ on-time delivery.

Customer lifetime value: Average revenue per customer over 12 months. This justifies acquisition spending.

Channel mix: Percentage of orders from direct channels versus marketplaces. Target 50%+ direct within a year.

These metrics tell you whether your online ordering investment is working and where to focus improvement efforts.

Getting Started with Online Ordering

If you're ready to implement online ordering:

1. Calculate your current marketplace costs: Total up commission fees paid over the past three months. This is your baseline to beat.

2. Define your requirements: List must-have features, integration needs, and budget constraints.

3. Request demos: Test Flipdish and 1-2 alternatives. Focus on the actual ordering experience, not just the admin interface.

4. Check references: Speak with restaurants similar to yours using the platforms you're considering.

5. Plan your launch: Set a realistic timeline accounting for menu preparation, integration, staff training, and marketing.

6. Start with Flipdish: As the leading commission-free platform with complete POS integration and marketing tools, Flipdish provides everything needed for successful direct ordering. View pricing or request a demo to see the platform in action.

Direct online ordering isn't optional anymore—it's essential infrastructure for sustainable restaurant operations. The restaurants thriving today are those that own their customer relationships and maximise profit per order. The technology exists, the customer demand is proven, and the return on investment is clear.

The question isn't whether to implement online ordering, but how quickly you can get it done properly.