Industry · Hospitality · 5 November 2026 · 6 min read
Online ordering for restaurants: your own system or a delivery platform?
Your own online ordering system or a delivery platform? An honest comparison for restaurants, takeaways and cafés: commission, customer data, QR ordering, pickup and tills.
Many restaurants take online orders through one or more delivery platforms today. It's convenient: the platform brings the app, the reach and often the drivers too. At some point, though, almost every business asks whether its own ordering system would make more sense. The honest answer is: it depends, and often the best solution is a combination of both.
In this article I go through the differences as I learned them while building the ordering system for the EFA petrol-station bistros in Karlsruhe and Baden-Baden.
How delivery platforms make money
Platforms usually earn a commission per order, sometimes plus fees for payment processing, delivery or better placement. How much that is for you depends on your contract: whether you deliver yourself, whether the platform provides drivers, which package you booked. Look closely at your statements from the last few months and work out what you actually give up per order. With the thin margins in hospitality, that makes a noticeable difference.
There's a second point that is often underestimated: the customer relationship largely belongs to the platform. You see an order, but you don't build your own contact with your regulars. Guests come back to the app, not necessarily to you.
What your own ordering system does differently
- No commission to a third party per order. Costs for development, hosting, maintenance and the payment provider remain, but they're predictable.
- Your guests order on your site, under your name, with your design.
- You decide the workflow: pickup times, minimum order value, extras, daily specials.
- The order data stays with you, within the GDPR of course.
What your own system doesn't automatically bring is reach. Nobody finds your ordering page just because it exists. You have to promote it: on your website, in your Google Business Profile, on Instagram, on flyers in the bag and above all in the restaurant itself.
Three typical use cases
- 01
QR ordering at the table
Guests scan a code on the table, see the menu, order and pay on their own phone. The order appears in the kitchen immediately, with the table number. That takes pressure off staff, especially at peak times.
- 02
Pickup (click & collect)
Guests order from home or on the way and collect at a chosen time. No delivery costs, no drivers, and the platform commission disappears. For many takeaways, pizzerias and cafés this is the easiest way to start.
- 03
Your own delivery
If you already have your own drivers, your own system can handle deliveries too: delivery areas, minimum orders, delivery times. This is the most complex case and pays off mainly if a delivery operation is already running.
Till, receipts and kitchen
An ordering system is only as good as its connection to daily work behind the counter. New orders should appear in the admin area with a sound, the receipt should print automatically, and the team must be able to maintain products, prices and opening hours themselves without calling me.
The till deserves a close look. In Germany, electronic till systems are subject to special requirements, including the Kassensicherungsverordnung with its certified technical security device. Whether and how online orders have to be transferred into your till depends on your till and your bookkeeping. Clarify this with your tax adviser before going live. Technically, handing orders over to many till systems via an interface is possible, but not every till offers one.
Payment: up front or on pickup?
In most cases I recommend online payment before the order is sent, for example via PayPal or card. That way there's no food that was ordered but never collected. Cash on pickup is possible, but it increases the risk of prank orders. Payment provider fees apply with your own system too, but they're usually far more manageable than a platform commission. Compare the terms directly with the provider.
Own system and platform at the same time?
Yes, and for many businesses that's the most sensible route. The platform stays as a channel for new customers you wouldn't reach otherwise. Regulars and guests in the restaurant you direct to your own system: with the QR code on the table, a note on the receipt or a small perk for ordering direct. Check your platform contract for any rules on prices or promotions.
How to recognise a good system
- The ordering page loads quickly even on a weak connection and works without installing an app.
- Guests don't need a customer account to order.
- Pickup times follow the kitchen's real capacity.
- Several locations can be managed in one system.
- Privacy policy, imprint and prices including VAT are implemented properly.
- You get the source code, or at least a clear way to export your data.
My take
Your own ordering system won't replace the platform overnight. But it gives you a channel that belongs to you, and that becomes more valuable with every direct order. Businesses with lots of walk-in guests or lots of pickups benefit fastest, because the guests are already there and only need a more convenient way to order.
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