Restaurant Online Ordering: UK Guide for Independents

You just finished a 12-hour shift. Your phone keeps pinging with third-party orders, but when you check the monthly statements, 30% of every sale went straight to the platform. That is money you could have used for staff, ingredients, or finally fixing that leaky walk-in.

Sixty percent of UK consumers ordered delivery food in 2024, according to Zego's UK Food Delivery Market Statistics. Your customers expect to order online. The question is whether you control that channel or hand it to someone else.

This guide walks you through every option for restaurant online ordering, from free systems to commission-free platforms.

What You'll Learn

• How restaurant online ordering systems work in practice
• The real cost difference between apps and direct ordering
• Which system fits your restaurant type and budget
• How to set up ordering without a 12-hour learning curve

What Is Online Ordering for Restaurants?

Let us start with the basics. Online ordering for restaurants is a system that lets customers browse menus, place orders, and pay digitally through a website, app, or third-party platform. In other words, it is the digital version of your front counter. The system sends orders to your kitchen display or POS, reducing phone errors and freeing staff during busy service.

For example, a neighbourhood Italian restaurant might use Square Online to take orders through their website. Customers see the menu, add items, pay with card, and the order prints in the kitchen. No phone tag, no handwriting mistakes on tickets.

The technology ranges from simple website widgets to complete online ordering systems for restaurants with delivery management, customer databases, and marketing tools.

The average Brit places roughly 20 delivery orders per year, with 67% of survey respondents having used Just Eat alone in the past 12 months (Statista UK Food Delivery Statistics).

Related: Restaurant Ordering Systems: How to Choose the Right One

Third-Party Apps vs Direct Ordering

Now that you understand what online ordering involves, the next decision matters even more. So you have two paths forward. You either rely on third-party apps or build your own ordering channel. Here is how they compare.

Note: Commission rates vary by platform, plan, and whether you use their drivers.

Just Eat charges around 14% for self-delivery or 30% with their drivers. Deliveroo typically charges 25-35%, with some restaurants reporting 33% on orders under £25 (MerchantSwitch, 2025).

Here is a real scenario: A fish and chip shop processes 80 orders weekly at £18 average. On Deliveroo at 30% commission, that is £432 monthly going to the platform. Switch to direct ordering at 2.9% card processing, and the same orders cost roughly £42 in fees. The difference: £390 staying in the business.

If you are thinking "I don't have time to build my own ordering system," you are not alone. Most owners feel that way after a Saturday rush. But modern restaurant commission-free ordering platforms handle the setup while you keep 95%+ of every order.

If you can't tell whether the convenience of third-party apps outweighs the cost, that is usually a sign you have not calculated your actual commission spend.

Related: Online Ordering vs Delivery Apps: What's Right for Your Restaurant?

Choosing the Right System

With the commission question settled, the next step is matching a system to your operation. Not every restaurant needs the same solution. Your choice depends on volume, delivery needs, and budget.

For Small Restaurants and Cafes

First, if you process fewer than 50 online orders weekly, a simple online ordering system for small restaurants often works best.

For instance, a brunch cafe in Manchester might use GloriaFood's free tier. They add their menu, embed the widget on their website, and orders come through on a tablet. No monthly fees. Transaction charges only.

These systems typically include:

• Menu management dashboard
• Order notifications via tablet
• Basic customer records
• Card payment integration

For Takeaways and Fast-Casual

However, high-volume takeaways benefit from restaurant takeaway systems built for speed. A busy kebab shop processing 150+ orders on Friday night needs kitchen display integration, order throttling during rush periods, and loyalty features that bring customers back.

For Delivery-Focused Operations

Finally, when delivery is central to your business, you need a complete restaurant delivery system with driver dispatch, route optimisation, and real-time tracking. Some platforms provide drivers. Others integrate with courier services like Stuart or Gophr.

Free vs Paid: What You Actually Get

Once you have chosen a system type, the next question is price. Budget matters. Several free restaurant online ordering systems exist for restaurants starting out.

Free options typically include:

• Basic menu and ordering pages
• Payment processing (2-3% per transaction)
• Simple order management

Paid systems add:

• Advanced reporting and analytics
• Customer database with marketing tools
• Loyalty programmes
• Multi-location management
• Dedicated support

For example, a pizza restaurant using Square's free tier might upgrade to the paid plan after hitting 100 weekly orders. The customer database alone pays for itself. They can now email loyal customers about Tuesday specials instead of hoping people remember to order.

If you're only updating menus when it's quiet you'll always lose to competitors who treat online ordering as part of operations, not an afterthought.

Related: Best Online Ordering System for Restaurant: 2026 UK Comparison

Website vs Mobile App

Beyond the system itself, there is another question. Should you build a dedicated restaurant ordering app or stick with a mobile-friendly website?

For most independent restaurants, a mobile-responsive website is enough. Building a custom app typically costs several thousand pounds upfront plus ongoing maintenance. Unless you have extremely loyal customers who order weekly, app store hurdles (downloading, updates, storage) create friction that reduces orders.

The exception: multi-location brands with strong loyalty. A regional burger chain with ten sites might benefit from an app. A single-site gastropub probably will not.

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OpenTable and Reservation Platforms

Online ordering handles takeaway and delivery. But what about bookings? If you run a dine-in restaurant, you might be considering reservation platforms. These serve a different purpose than ordering systems, but the commission model raises similar questions.

OpenTable charges £2.50-4.00 per seated diner depending on your plan. That adds up fast for busy restaurants. Several OpenTable alternatives in the UK offer lower fees or flat monthly pricing.

For restaurants weighing options, understanding OpenTable vs Resy helps you choose based on features that matter for your operation.

The 30/30/30 Cost Rule

Before you sign up for any platform, run the numbers through this framework. The 30/30/30 rule is a framework that allocates restaurant costs across three equal buckets with the remainder as profit.

• 30% to food costs
• 30% to labour costs
• 30% to overhead (rent, utilities, equipment)
• 10% profit margin

For example, a gastropub with £40,000 monthly revenue keeps roughly £4,000 as profit under this model. If they process £8,000 through Deliveroo at 30% commission, that is £2,400 gone, more than half the profit. The same orders through direct ordering at 2.9% cost £232.

Third-party commissions of 20-35% effectively consume your entire profit margin. That is why commission-free alternatives matter for sustainable operations.

Setting Up: If You Only Have 30 Minutes

All of this means nothing if you never act on it. Here is a realistic weekly plan that fits around service.

If you only have 30 minutes this week, follow this breakdown:

Day 1-2: Audit current state

• Check Google Business Profile for "Order" button
• Test your website on mobile
• Calculate current commission spend

Day 3-4: Research two platforms

• One free option (Square Online or GloriaFood)
• One paid option matching your volume

Day 5-7: Start a trial

• Set up free trial account
• Add 10-15 menu items
• Test the customer experience yourself

Related: Restaurant POS System: How Online Ordering Integrates with Your Till

Key Takeaways

Looking for help choosing your restaurant online ordering system? LocalBrandHub helps independent UK restaurants build direct ordering channels that drive repeat business.