Food Ordering Apps
Branded apps vs marketplaces, build your own vs off-the-shelf, commission rates compared — everything you need to choose the right food ordering app for your restaurant.
- Low commission on every direct order
- Own your customer data and relationships
- POS systems from £499 + VAT
Food Ordering App Features
Everything your restaurant needs to take orders online — directly, profitably, and on your terms.
Your Own Branded App
A food ordering app with your restaurant's name, logo, colours, and menu. Customers download it from the App Store or Google Play — or order via a web version without downloading anything. Every order comes directly to you, not through a marketplace. Your brand, your customer relationship, your data.
Low Commission Model
Marketplace apps charge 25-35% per order. On a £20 order, that is £5-7 gone before you have paid for food, staff, or rent. With a branded ordering app, commission is low — typically a flat monthly fee or a small percentage that leaves your margins intact. The difference on 100 orders per week is thousands of pounds per month.
Branded App vs Marketplace Comparison
Marketplaces bring discovery — new customers who are browsing. Branded apps bring retention — existing customers who order direct. The smart approach is both: use marketplaces for acquisition, then convert customers to your branded app with incentives. We help you set up both channels and migrate customers over time.
POS & Kitchen Integration
Orders from your food ordering app arrive directly on your POS and kitchen display. No tablet on the side, no re-keying orders. The kitchen sees the order the moment the customer submits it. Preparation starts immediately. This integration eliminates errors and cuts preparation time — the order is in the kitchen in under 3 seconds.
Own Your Customer Data
When a customer orders through a marketplace, the marketplace owns the relationship. You do not get their email, phone number, or order history. With your own app, every customer's data belongs to you. Build email lists, send push notifications, run targeted promotions. A database of 2,000 customers who order monthly is worth more than any marketplace listing.
Loyalty & Promotions
Build repeat orders with app-exclusive deals. Offer a free side dish after 5 orders, or 10% off for first-time app users. Push notifications go directly to customers' phones — "Your favourite chicken tikka is on offer tonight." The loyalty programme runs automatically, rewarding customers and driving repeat business without manual effort.
Why Restaurants Choose Their Own App
Keep More of Every Order
A £20 takeaway order through a marketplace leaves you with £13-15 after commission. The same order through your branded app leaves you with £18-19. Over 500 orders per month, that is £2,000-3,000 difference. Low commission means your food ordering app pays for itself within the first week of operation.
Build a Direct Customer Base
Every order through your app gives you the customer's name, email, phone number, and order history. After six months, you have a database of loyal customers you can reach directly. Run a "20% off this Friday" push notification and watch orders spike. Marketplaces will never give you this capability.
Reduce Kitchen Errors
Orders flow directly from the app to the kitchen display. No re-keying from a separate tablet, no misreading handwriting, no missed modifications. The kitchen sees exactly what the customer ordered — including special instructions, allergy notes, and modification requests. Fewer errors mean fewer complaints and less food waste.
Scale Without Increasing Costs
Your 100th order through the app costs the same as your first. There is no per-order commission eating into margins as you grow. Whether you do 50 orders per week or 500, the economics work in your favour. This is how restaurants scale their delivery and takeaway revenue profitably.
The Real Cost of Marketplace Commission
A restaurant doing 200 orders per week at £25 average through a marketplace at 30% commission pays £1,500 per week — £78,000 per year — in commission alone. That is the salary of two full-time staff members handed to a platform that also promotes your competitors on the same page.
With a branded food ordering app, the same 200 orders generate significantly more profit. Low commission means you keep the margin you need to invest in your food, your team, and your premises. The app pays for itself before the end of the first month.
The transition does not have to be overnight. Start by running both channels — marketplace for new customer discovery, branded app for retention. Include a flyer with every marketplace order: "Order direct next time and get 15% off." Within three months, most restaurants shift 40-60% of orders to their own app.
Food Ordering Apps — Frequently Asked Questions
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