Stop Paying 30% to Delivery Apps: Build Your Own Ordering System

Let's do some quick math. Your customer orders $50 worth of food through Uber Eats. After their 30% commission, you get $35. Your food cost is 30% ($15), labor is 25% ($12.50). You just made $7.50 on a $50 order. That's a 15% margin on delivery - if nothing goes wrong.

The Real Cost of Delivery Apps

Uber Eats: 15-30% commission + $0.49-0.99 per order
DoorDash: 15-30% commission
Menulog: 14-35% commission
Average restaurant margin on delivery: 5-15%

Why Restaurants Still Use Delivery Apps

If the math is so bad, why do restaurants keep using them? Three reasons:

1. Discovery: Delivery apps are how many customers find new restaurants. They're essentially paying for advertising.
2. Convenience: The apps handle payment processing, driver logistics, and customer service.
3. Fear: "If I'm not on Uber Eats, I'll lose customers to competitors who are."

All valid points. But here's what smart restaurants are realizing: you can use delivery apps for discovery while building your own direct ordering channel for repeat customers.

The Hybrid Strategy: Best of Both Worlds

The winning strategy isn't "quit delivery apps cold turkey." It's:

1. Stay on delivery apps for new customer acquisition
2. Build your own ordering system for direct orders
3. Convert delivery app customers to direct customers
4. Incentivize direct ordering with better pricing/perks

How to Build Direct Ordering

Option 1: Your Own Website Ordering

The cleanest solution. Customers order directly from your website. You process the payment (typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction via Stripe), and you keep the rest.

✓ Full control over the customer experience
✓ Customer data is yours - email, order history, preferences
✓ Lowest fees - just payment processing
✗ You need to handle delivery (or use delivery-only services)

Option 2: Lower-Fee Platforms

Platforms like ChowNow, Toast, and Square Online offer ordering systems with much lower fees (typically 5-10% vs 30%).

Option 3: Delivery-Only Services

Services like DoorDash Drive and Uber Direct provide delivery drivers without the marketplace. You take the order, they deliver. Fees are per-delivery (usually $5-10) rather than percentage-based.

The Math on Direct Ordering

Same $50 order, but direct:

Revenue: $50
Payment processing (3%): -$1.50
Delivery fee to customer: +$5 (passed through)
DoorDash Drive: -$7
Net to you: $46.50 (vs $35 on Uber Eats)

That's $11.50 more per order. On 100 deliveries/week, that's $59,800/year back in your pocket.

How to Convert Delivery App Customers

The hardest part isn't building the system - it's getting customers to use it. Here's what works:

1. Include a Flyer in Every Delivery Order

"Thanks for your order! Next time, order direct at [website] and get 10% off + free dessert." Simple, cheap, effective.

2. Price Differentiation

Many restaurants now charge higher prices on delivery apps to offset the commission. Your direct ordering menu can be 10-15% cheaper - you're still making more money.

3. Loyalty Program

Direct ordering customers earn points. Delivery app customers don't. "Order 10 times, get one free" only works on your own platform.

4. Exclusive Menu Items

Some restaurants offer special items only available through direct ordering. Creates urgency and exclusivity.

Real Numbers: A Case Study

A suburban pizza restaurant we worked with was doing $15,000/week in delivery app orders. After implementing direct ordering:

Month 1: 8% of delivery orders shifted to direct
Month 3: 22% direct
Month 6: 41% direct
Annual savings: $48,000+ in commission fees

They didn't leave delivery apps entirely. They just stopped being 100% dependent on them.

What You Need to Get Started

✓ A website with online ordering - This is non-negotiable
✓ Payment processing - Stripe, Square, etc.
✓ Delivery solution - Your own drivers or delivery-only service
✓ Marketing materials - Flyers, social media, email list
✓ Incentive structure - Why should customers switch?

Ready to Stop Giving Away 30%?

DishROI builds restaurant websites with integrated online ordering. Keep your profits, own your customer data, and stop being at the mercy of delivery apps.

Get a Free Quote

The Bottom Line

Delivery apps aren't evil - they serve a purpose. But treating them as your only delivery channel is leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table every year.

The restaurants that will thrive are those that use delivery apps strategically for discovery while building direct relationships with customers. It's not either/or - it's both, with a clear strategy to shift the balance over time.

Start today. Add a flyer to your next delivery order. Build that website. Your margins will thank you.