Online ordering has become an indispensable part of the hospitality industry.
Whether it's delivery or takeaway, more and more guests expect this option as standard. The question is no longer whether you should offer online ordering, but how to do it profitably without disrupting your regular operation. This guide walks you through 7 concrete ways to boost your takeaway and delivery: (1) choosing the right platform mix, (2) optimizing your menu for delivery, (3) streamlining your kitchen and operations, (4) actively promoting your ordering channels, (5) tracking your data and margins, (6) going all-in on takeaway, and (7) delivering top customer service remotely.
The growth of online ordering
The market for ordering food online is still growing by double digits every year. Not only millennials and Gen Z, but also older generations have grown accustomed to the convenience of ordering via an app or website. The pandemic accelerated this development, but the trend was already under way and continues.
For restaurants this means an opportunity to reach new customers and serve existing ones more often. A guest who normally eats with you once a month might order online twice a month. What's more, you reach customers who would never physically visit your restaurant: people outside your immediate neighbourhood, people working from home, or guests who prefer to eat at home.
The figures speak for themselves: restaurants that successfully implement online ordering see their total revenue rise by 10-30%. But it requires a well-considered approach to make this profitable and to maintain your brand value.
Way 1: Choose the right platform mix
The first and most important choice is which channels you want to receive online orders through. Each has its pros and cons.
Aggregators (Thuisbezorgd, Uber Eats, etc.)
Delivery platforms such as Thuisbezorgd, Uber Eats and Deliveroo are the best-known players. They offer a ready-made solution with broad reach.
Advantages:
- Direct access to a large, existing customer base - millions of active users
- No investment in marketing needed to be visible
- Delivery is fully handled by the platform
- A low-threshold start - you can be live within days
- Payments are handled by the platform
- Technical support and updates are included
Disadvantages:
- High commissions of 15-30% per order eat into your margin
- No direct customer relationship - customers belong to the platform, not to you
- Little control over presentation and brand experience
- Dependence on algorithms that determine how visible you are
- Competing with hundreds of other restaurants on the same platform
- Quality control during delivery is out of your hands
Your own ordering platform
Your own ordering module on your website gives you full control, but requires more investment.
Advantages:
- No commissions per order - only fixed system costs
- A direct customer relationship and valuable customer data
- Full control over branding, presentation and user experience
- Integration with guest profiles and loyalty programmes
- Flexibility in menu, prices and promotions
- The possibility of personal communication with customers
Disadvantages:
- Requires your own marketing to generate traffic
- Arranging delivery yourself or outsourcing it to a third party
- An initial investment in a system and website
- Technical maintenance and updates are your own responsibility
- It takes longer to build up volume
Best practice: a hybrid approach
Most successful restaurants combine both channels strategically. This gives you the best of both worlds:
- Aggregators for acquisition: Use platforms to reach new customers and build brand awareness. See the commission as a marketing cost.
- Your own platform for retention: Convert platform customers to your own ordering channel by offering better deals.
- Encourage direct ordering: Give a 10-15% discount for direct orders, faster delivery times, or exclusive menu items.
- A flyer in the delivery bag: Put a flyer with a discount for direct ordering next time in every platform order.
A smart strategy is to offer popular, simple dishes via aggregators (for volume and visibility) and premium, more complex dishes exclusively via your own platform (for better margins and a customer relationship).
Way 2: Optimize your menu for delivery
Not every dish is suitable for delivery. A perfect steak that cools down and overcooks on the way, or a crispy tempura that goes soggy, damages your reputation. Critical success factors are:
- Travels well: Dishes that stay hot or cold without loss of quality. Stews, curries, pastas and bowls work excellently. Dishes with crispy elements or a precise cooking point, less so.
- Packaging: Invest in good, sustainable packaging that retains heat, prevents condensation, and doesn't leak. The packaging is your calling card with delivery.
- Presentation: Test every dish: how does it look after 20-30 minutes in a delivery bag? Assess temperature, texture and visual presentation.
- Pricing: Adjust prices for packaging costs and any commissions. A dish that costs €18 in the restaurant may need to cost €20-22 online to maintain the same margin.
- Portion sizes: Consider slightly larger portions for delivery - customers have higher expectations when they don't get the restaurant atmosphere.
Consider an adapted delivery menu with your best "travelling" dishes instead of your full menu. This is also a form of menu engineering: focus on high-margin dishes that travel well.
Way 3: Streamline your kitchen & operations
Online orders bring operational complexity with them. Good preparation prevents chaos in the kitchen and disappointment for customers.
Kitchen workflow
Delivery orders compete with table orders for attention and capacity. This calls for smart planning:
- A separate station: Consider a dedicated station for delivery with its own mise-en-place and packaging materials.
- Throttling: Limit the number of online orders during peak times. Better a "temporarily unavailable" than frustrated restaurant guests and delivery customers.
- Integration: Make sure all orders - table, delivery, takeaway - come into one POS system for an overview.
- Clear prioritisation: Make agreements about when delivery orders take priority and when they don't.
- Build in a buffer: Communicate realistic delivery times. Better 10 minutes early than 10 minutes late.
Timing and quality
The art is to have dishes ready exactly when the courier arrives - not too early (loss of quality) and not too late (courier waits, customer waits):
- Align preparation time with the average courier arrival time
- Use heat-retaining techniques: heat lamps, holding cabinets, insulating packaging
- Set up a clear, easily accessible pick-up zone for couriers
- Train staff to prioritise the final packaging steps just before pick-up
- Check every order before handover: complete, correct, well packaged
Packaging as a differentiator
With delivery, your packaging is the only physical point of contact with your brand. Invest in it:
- Choose packaging that fits your positioning (premium restaurant = premium packaging)
- Ensure a good seal so nothing leaks or falls out
- Separate hot and cold elements
- Consider branded or printed packaging for brand recognition
- Add a menu, business card or discount flyer
Way 4: Actively promote your ordering channels
An ordering platform without promotion is like a restaurant without a sign on the front. Actively promote your ordering channels:
- In-restaurant: Table tents with QR codes to your ordering site, mentions on the menu, flyers with the bill
- Social media: Regular posts about delivery options, photos of packaged dishes, stories of deliveries
- Email campaigns: Inform existing guests about your delivery service with a welcome discount
- Google: Google Business Profile with an order button and a link to your platform
- Local flyers: Distribute flyers in the neighbourhood with a first-order discount
- Partnerships: Partner with local businesses for lunch delivery
Way 5: Track your data & margins
Use data to continuously optimise your delivery operation. Important metrics are:
- Bestsellers: Which dishes sell best online? Focus your marketing on these.
- Peak hours: What are the busiest times for delivery? Plan staff and stock accordingly.
- Platform comparison: How do different platforms perform in terms of volume, margin and customer satisfaction?
- Net margin: What do you really earn after commissions, packaging and labour?
- Customer retention: How many delivery customers order again? And via which channel?
- Customer satisfaction: Monitor reviews and ratings per platform and per dish.
Way 6: Go all-in on takeaway
Takeaway deserves special attention because it's often more profitable than delivery:
- Higher margin: No delivery costs or platform commissions
- Upselling opportunity: The guest comes to you - offer impulse purchases (a drink, a dessert)
- Control: Less dependent on third parties for timing and quality
- Customer contact: You see the customer, can greet them personally and build a relationship
- Cross-selling: Promote it via your reservation system
Encourage takeaway by offering a small discount compared to delivery, or a free drink on collection. Invest in an attractive takeaway area where customers are happy to wait a moment.
Way 7: Deliver top customer service remotely
Excellent customer service is harder at a distance, but no less important. Complaints about delivery can quickly damage your online reputation:
- Proactive communication: Be clear about delivery times and provide updates in case of delays
- A quick response: Respond to complaints within an hour - ideally faster
- Generous compensation: In case of mistakes: a full refund plus a voucher for the next order. See it as an investment in customer retention.
- A personal touch: A handwritten thank-you note in the order, a personal message on special occasions
- Follow-up: Email a day later to ask whether everything was okay
- Review management: Ask satisfied customers for a review, respond professionally to negative reviews
Costs and margins
The profitability of online ordering depends on strict cost control. Keep an eye on your costs:
- Packaging costs: €0.50-2.00 per order, depending on quality and complexity
- Platform commissions: 15-30% of the order value with aggregators
- Your own delivery: Staff costs, fuel, insurance, vehicle maintenance
- Transaction costs: Online payments cost 1-3% per transaction
- Marketing: Costs to promote your own platform
Calculate your actual margin per dish and per channel. Adjust prices to stay profitable - customers accept higher prices for the convenience of delivery. A rule of thumb: online prices may be 10-20% higher than in the restaurant.
Sustainability
Delivery has an environmental impact - responsible business means minimising and communicating it:
- Eco-friendly packaging: Cardboard, paper, or compostable materials instead of plastic
- Bundling: Bundle orders going in the same direction where possible
- Bike couriers: In city centres: partner with bike couriers or e-scooters
- Opt-in cutlery: Ask whether the customer needs cutlery instead of including it by default
- Communication: Share your sustainability efforts with customers - it's appreciated
- Local sourcing: Emphasise local ingredients to reduce the overall footprint
Avoiding common mistakes
Learn from the mistakes of others:
- Too many platforms: Start with one or two, perfect those, and only then expand
- The full menu online: Not every dish travels well - be selective
- Not adjusting prices: The same prices as in the restaurant means making a loss
- Underestimating volume: A successful launch can overwhelm your kitchen - build up gradually
- Sacrificing quality: Better fewer orders with high quality than many with complaints
Conclusion: Online ordering
Online ordering is a valuable addition to your restaurant that can significantly increase your reach and revenue. But it requires a well-considered approach. Work through the 7 ways above - get the platform mix right, optimise your menu for delivery, streamline operations, promote your channels, track your data and margins, lean into takeaway, and deliver remote customer service - and keep a close eye on your costs and quality throughout.
Start small, learn fast, and scale up gradually. Done well, online ordering becomes a profitable branch of your business that attracts new customers, gets existing customers ordering more often, and strengthens your brand - without disrupting your core operation in the restaurant.
The future of hospitality is omnichannel: guests want to choose whether they eat with you, collect, or have it delivered. Restaurants that excel in all three have a competitive advantage that's hard to match.