How Restaurants Can Reduce Dependence on Delivery Apps (And Keep More Revenue)

If your restaurant takes delivery orders through Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Just Eat, or DoorDash, you already know the economics aren't pretty. Commission rates range from 15% to 30% per order, sometimes higher on premium placement packages. On a £25 order with a 30% commission, you're keeping £17.50 before food costs, staff, and overhead.

The platforms will argue they bring you customers you wouldn't otherwise have. And that's partially true — especially in your early days. But once your restaurant has an established customer base, continuing to route all your online orders through a third party is like paying rent on a shop you already own.

This post is about how to strategically shift a meaningful portion of your orders to direct channels — without abandoning the delivery apps entirely.

Understanding the Actual Cost

Let's run the numbers properly. Suppose your restaurant does £10,000 in delivery sales per month, all through third-party apps at an average 25% commission rate. You're paying £2,500 per month — £30,000 per year — for the privilege.

What if you shifted even 30% of that volume to direct orders? That's £3,000/month in direct orders. Even if your direct ordering system costs £100/month to operate and you spend another £200/month nudging customers toward it, you're still saving roughly £550/month versus the app commission rate on that volume. Over a year, that's £6,600 retained.

That's not theoretical — that's the actual math for a mid-size independent restaurant. The savings scale with your volume.

Why Most Restaurants Don't Shift (And Why Those Reasons Are Surmountable)

The three most common objections I hear from restaurant owners:

1. "Our customers won't bother to order directly — they're used to the app."
2. "Setting up a direct ordering system sounds complicated."
3. "We'd lose the discovery traffic the apps bring."

Each of these is real — but none of them are insurmountable.

On customer behaviour

Your regulars — the customers who've already discovered you and love your food — are the most likely to order directly, especially if there's an incentive. A 10% discount for ordering direct, or a loyalty program that only applies to direct orders, shifts the economics decisively in the customer's mind. They're not ordering direct out of altruism; they're doing it because you've given them a reason to.

You don't need to convert every customer. Converting your top 20% of regulars to direct ordering can account for a disproportionate share of your revenue shift.

On technical complexity

Direct ordering systems have become dramatically simpler. Solutions like Square Online, Toast, Flipdine, and dedicated WooCommerce plugins integrate with your existing website and handle the customer experience, payment processing, and order management. Setup time is measured in days, not months.

If your website doesn't currently support ordering, adding a dedicated ordering page isn't a major rebuild — it's an addition to what you already have.

On discovery

This is the most legitimate concern. The apps do bring in new customers who wouldn't have found you otherwise. The answer isn't to leave the apps — it's to use the apps for discovery and your own channels for retention.

Think of it this way: the first order comes through Deliveroo. Every subsequent order from that customer should come direct. The app paid for the acquisition; your retention systems do the rest.

Five Practical Strategies That Work

1. Put a Direct Ordering CTA Inside Every Delivery Package

This is the highest-leverage, lowest-cost thing you can do today. Every delivery order that goes out should include a physical insert: a card, a sticker on the bag, or a printed flyer that says something like:

"Loved your meal? Order direct at [yourwebsite.com] and get 10% off your next order. No apps, no extra fees — just great food."

This reaches customers at peak receptiveness — they're eating your food right now and they liked it enough to order from you. The barrier to scan a QR code and save the link is genuinely low.

2. Build a Simple Loyalty Program for Direct Orders Only

A basic loyalty mechanic — stamp cards, points, or a simple "5th order free" system — creates ongoing incentive to order direct. Importantly, this only applies to direct orders, which makes the distinction tangible for customers.

Digital loyalty programs (via apps like Stamp Me, LoyaltyLion, or even a simple email-based system) make this trackable and scalable. But even physical stamp cards work if you're willing to honour them.

3. Create a Direct Ordering Incentive for Your Social Audience

If you have even a modest Instagram or Facebook following, a monthly "direct order exclusive" offer works well — a free drink with every order, a discounted combo, early access to a new dish. Promote it on social, send it via email if you collect customer emails, and make it clear that this deal is only available when ordering through your website.

This trains your audience to think of your direct channel as the premium experience — not the apps.

4. Optimise Your Google Business Profile for Direct Orders

Your GBP listing lets you add a "Order Food" or "Order Online" button that links directly to your ordering page. If that button currently points to Uber Eats, change it to your direct ordering system. This is free and takes five minutes.

Customers who find you via Google and want to order are high-intent and often don't have a preference for which platform they use — they just want the food. Removing friction between that intent and your direct ordering page captures a significant portion of this traffic.

5. Run a "Direct Order Week" Campaign Once Per Quarter

A concentrated promotional push — where ordering direct gets a meaningful discount or bonus for seven days — creates a habit-forming moment. First-time direct orderers who have a good experience often continue ordering direct by default, since the habit is established and the app is no longer the path of least resistance.

Pair this with a follow-up email or SMS after the first direct order: "Thanks for ordering direct — here's a code for 10% off your next one." Converting the first order into a second direct order is the critical step.

Building the Foundation: What You Actually Need

To run direct online orders effectively, you need three things:

1. An ordering page — either a dedicated ordering platform integrated with your website, or a standalone solution. Should be mobile-first, fast-loading, and frictionless.
2. A payment processor — Stripe is the standard choice for flexibility and cost. Square works well if you're already using their POS system.
3. A way to capture customer contact details — email or phone number at checkout. This is how you re-market to direct customers and build genuine CRM data that you own (unlike on the delivery apps, where the customer relationship belongs to the platform).

That third point is more valuable than it might initially appear. When you have a customer's email and order history, you can reach them directly — for promotions, new menu launches, seasonal specials. The apps have that data about your customers; you don't. Direct ordering is how you reclaim it.

The Right Balance

I'm not suggesting you delete your Deliveroo account. The delivery apps are still valuable for discovery, especially if you're newer or expanding to a new area. What I am suggesting is that you treat them as top-of-funnel acquisition tools — and build your own systems to convert that first-time app customer into a long-term direct customer.

Aim for 60–70% of your regular customer orders to come direct within 12 months. At that split, you've dramatically reduced your commission exposure while still benefiting from app-driven discovery.

Getting Started

The fastest path to your first direct orders is usually:

1. Set up a basic ordering page (takes 2–5 days with the right tools)
2. Add a "Order Direct" button to your GBP and social bios
3. Print and include an insert in all delivery packages with a first-order discount
4. Tell your regulars — via Instagram story, WhatsApp status, or in-person

If you'd like help setting up a direct ordering system that integrates with your existing website and marketing, book a free strategy session — I'll walk you through the options that make sense for your setup and volume.

About the author

Deepak Kumar is the founder of Deep Tech Solutions — a solo freelance practice specialising in web design, local SEO, and lead generation for dental clinics, restaurants, and local service businesses. Book a free strategy session →