How to take online orders for a takeaway.
A practical guide for UK takeaways: the two ways to take orders online, what each is good for, and how to get orders from screen to kitchen without the phone ringing off the hook.
Two ways to take online orders
Marketplaces such as Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats list your menu in an app with a large audience of people looking for something to eat. They’re a strong way to be discovered by customers who’ve never heard of you, and they charge commission on each order for it.
Your own ordering app is a branded website and app that’s yours alone. Customers who already know your takeaway use it to order direct. There’s no commission on those orders, and you keep the customer relationship.
The two work well together: marketplaces bring new customers in, and your own app is where you invite them to order next time. See the full platform comparison for the details.
Which channel suits which customer
It helps to think about who is placing the order rather than which app they’re using. A first-time customer scrolling through a list of nearby takeaways is looking for something to eat tonight, and a marketplace is where they look. A regular who has ordered your chicken shish every Friday for two years already knows what they want and where to find you.
For the first customer, a marketplace listing is an introduction, and commission is the fee for making it. For the second, paying the same fee on every repeat order buys very little. The practical aim is to keep the introductions coming while steering the regulars towards your own app.
- Marketplaces are best for: discovery, reaching people outside your usual area, and handling delivery when you don’t have drivers of your own.
- Your own app is best for: regulars, collection orders, offers to people who’ve ordered before, and keeping the customer’s details and order history with you.
Setting up direct online ordering
1. Get your menu online
Your menu, prices and options need to be laid out clearly so customers can order without calling. Sizes, extras and allergen information should all be captured up front, so the kitchen receives an order it can make without a follow-up call.
Take the time to get the structure right. Group dishes the way customers think about them, keep names short and familiar, and make options such as pizza size, crust or spice level a choice on the dish rather than a separate line. A menu that mirrors what you say over the counter produces fewer mistakes than one that reads like a price list.
2. Take payment online
Taking card payment at the point of ordering means fewer no-shows and no cash to chase at the door. Our system uses Stripe for payments; Stripe’s standard processing fees apply on top of the subscription.
Paying upfront also removes the awkward moment when a driver arrives without change, and it means the money is already on its way before the food leaves the kitchen. Connecting Stripe is part of getting live, so it’s worth doing early.
3. Get orders into the kitchen
Orders should print straight to a kitchen printer as they come in, so staff aren’t watching a tablet or re-keying orders from different apps. A STAR thermal printer is available with our system for a one-off £294.99.
If you run more than one station, additional printers can be provisioned so chits print exactly where they’re needed. You don’t need an EPOS system to get started, and a dedicated EPOS integration is planned but isn’t generally available yet.
4. Tell your customers
A direct app only works if customers know about it. Put it on flyers, bags, table talkers and stickers, and tell regulars when they call. Our system includes flyer design and prints to get you started, free QR codes and plenty of digital materials, and most takeaways are live within 5 days of signing up and connecting Stripe.
What a typical launch looks like
Going live doesn’t have to disrupt a working kitchen. The usual sequence is short:
- You talk to us about your takeaway and see how your own ordering app would work in a free demo.
- We build your branded app, load your menu and get your printer ready, while you connect Stripe as your payment processor.
- You receive printed flyers, free QR codes and digital materials, and launch to your customers. Most takeaways are live within 5 days of signing up and connecting Stripe.
- From then on, every order that comes through the app prints in the kitchen, and you can update your menu, opening hours and offers from your web dashboard.
Turning marketplace customers into direct customers
You don’t need to abandon the marketplaces to build direct orders. You can keep your listings and add your own app alongside, at your own pace. What changes is what happens after the first order.
- Put the app’s details, with a QR code, on every bag and menu that leaves the shop.
- Say it out loud. When regulars phone or collect, mention that ordering through the app is quicker for them and better for you.
- Send offers through the app to give people a reason to order again, rather than discounting on a marketplace where commission still applies.
- Keep your branding consistent across the app, flyers and social pages so customers recognise it straight away.
Common mistakes to avoid
Launching without telling anyone
An ordering app with no promotion is a menu nobody sees. Plan the flyers, bag inserts and counter announcements before launch day, not after.
Leaving allergen information until later
Allergen details belong in the menu from the start. It’s easier to capture them once, when the menu is built, than to answer the same questions by phone during a busy service.
Comparing only the headline percentage
Commission rates are only part of the picture. Compare what you keep from an order after every cost, including processing fees and any separate marketplace charges, and remember that zero commission is not the same as no costs.
Treating it as all or nothing
Direct ordering doesn’t replace marketplaces overnight. Build it order by order, starting with the customers who already love your food. Our Takeaway Success Blueprint sets out the three steps.
What it costs
Ours is a flat £29.95 a month with no commission and no fixed-term contract. To see how that compares with commission on your own sales, use the takeaway commission calculator guide or read more about the takeaway online ordering system.
To be clear about what the subscription doesn’t include: Stripe’s processing fees apply on top, your customers pay a separate 50p platform fee per order at checkout, and the STAR printer is a one-off £294.99. We’re not currently VAT registered, so no VAT is added to the price. The pricing page sets out what’s covered.
Common questions
Do I need to be good with technology?
The app is designed to be easy to use. Customers browse your menu and place an order, and you see the order details in your dashboard. We walk you through how it works in your free demo.
Can I keep using my current delivery platforms?
Yes. Use your own app alongside the platforms you already use, and encourage customers to order direct next time.
What happens to my data if I cancel?
You can request an export of your menu, order history and customer data at any time. If you cancel, we delete your data within 90 days, or sooner if you ask us to.
See what your own app would look like.
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