How to Set Up Online Ordering for Your Restaurant (Without Paying Platform Fees Forever)

April 10, 2026Online Ordering

DoorDash takes 25%. Here is how to set up a direct ordering channel for repeat customers while using platforms for discovery.

Last updated: April 2026

DoorDash takes 15% to 30%. UberEats takes 15% to 30%. SkipTheDishes takes similar. On a $25 order, you might keep $17 to $21 after their cut.

That math works for customer acquisition (reaching new people who would not have found you otherwise). It does not work for regulars who already know your name and would have ordered directly if you gave them the option.

Here is how to think about online ordering as an independent restaurant, and how to set up a direct channel so you are not paying platform fees on every order forever.

The two types of online orders

Discovery orders: A customer who does not know you exist finds you on DoorDash, browses your menu, and orders. The platform brought you a new customer. The 25% fee is the cost of customer acquisition. This is often worth it. Repeat orders: A customer who has eaten at your restaurant before goes to DoorDash out of habit and orders again. You pay 25% for a customer you already had. This is where the fees hurt.

The goal is not to eliminate delivery platforms. It is to build a direct ordering channel for repeat customers while using the platforms for discovery.

Option 1: Your POS system's built-in ordering

Many modern POS systems include online ordering as a feature or add-on.

Toast Online Ordering: Integrates directly with your Toast POS. Orders go straight to the kitchen. No third-party fees on direct orders (Toast charges a flat fee or percentage, typically lower than delivery platforms). Works on your own website. Square Online: Free basic online ordering included with Square. Customers order through a Square-hosted page or your own website. No monthly fee on the free plan, though Square takes a payment processing fee (typically 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction). Lightspeed Order Ahead: Integrates with Lightspeed POS. Customers order from your website or a Lightspeed-hosted page.

If you already have a POS system, check whether it offers online ordering before paying for a separate platform. You may already have access to this feature.

Option 2: A standalone ordering platform (lower fees)

If your POS does not include online ordering or the integration is weak, standalone platforms offer direct ordering at lower fees than delivery marketplaces.

ChowNow: No commissions on orders. Flat monthly fee ($149 to $249/month depending on the plan). Builds a branded ordering page for your restaurant. Integrates with your website. Owner.com: Builds a full restaurant website with built-in online ordering. Flat monthly fee. Popular among independent restaurants, though reviews are mixed on customer service. GloriaFood: Free online ordering system. No commissions on orders. Revenue comes from optional paid add-ons. Good option for restaurants that want zero upfront cost. BentoBox: Restaurant website platform with built-in ordering. Monthly fee. More website-focused than ordering-focused.

Option 3: Your own website with a simple ordering form

The simplest version of direct ordering is a menu page on your website with a phone number or a simple form. Customer views the menu, calls or submits an order, you confirm.

This is low-tech but it works for small restaurants that get a manageable number of takeout orders. No platform fees, no monthly software cost. The trade-off is that it requires manual order processing and does not integrate with your POS.

Option 4: Keep the delivery platforms but redirect repeat customers

You do not have to choose one channel. Many restaurants use a hybrid approach:

Stay on DoorDash, UberEats, and SkipTheDishes for discovery (new customers finding you)
Set up a direct ordering channel (through your POS, a standalone platform, or your website) for repeat customers
Include a card with every delivery order: "Order direct next time and save. [your website or phone number]"
Put your direct ordering link in your Google Business Profile, Instagram bio, and on your receipts

Over time, regulars migrate to the direct channel. New customers still find you through the platforms. Your blended fee rate drops as more orders come direct.

The menu connection

Whichever ordering setup you use, your menu is the foundation. Customers browse your menu before deciding to order. If your menu is hard to find, hard to read, or outdated, they go to the restaurant with a better online menu.

A hosted digital menu (like EasyMenus) works as the first step in this chain. Customers find your menu through Google, your QR code, or your Instagram link. They see what you serve. Then they tap through to order, either through your direct channel or a delivery platform.

EasyMenus is not an ordering system. It is the menu layer that sits in front of whatever ordering system you use. The menu brings the customer in. The ordering system closes the sale.

Build your free menu

A note on delivery fees vs. direct ordering economics

The math on delivery platforms is straightforward:

Platform fee: 15% to 30% of the order total
Payment processing: typically included in the platform fee
Driver cost: sometimes passed to the customer, sometimes absorbed by the restaurant

For a $25 order at 25% commission, the platform takes $6.25. You keep $18.75 before your food cost.

Direct ordering through your POS or website:

Payment processing: 2.6% to 3% ($0.65 to $0.75 on a $25 order)
Monthly software fee: $0 to $250/month depending on the platform
No commission per order

If you do 100 takeout orders per month and shift 50 of them from DoorDash to direct ordering, you save roughly $312 per month in platform fees (50 orders x $6.25 fee). That savings more than covers the monthly fee for most direct ordering platforms.

Related reading:

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