Guests decide where to eat in seconds, usually from a search result or a map. This guide compares direct ordering with delivery apps, lists what a restaurant site must show, and explains how to launch ordering without breaking your kitchen workflow.
| Aspect | Your own ordering site | Delivery apps | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per order | Payment processing only | Commission per order, set by the platform | Compare your actual contract rates |
| Customer data | You keep emails and order history | Platform keeps most of it | Owning data enables loyalty and reorders |
| Reach | Guests who already know you | Discovery by new guests in the app | Why many restaurants use both |
| Menu control | Full: photos, modifiers, diet tags, specials | Limited to the platform’s format | Keep one master menu to avoid drift |
| Delivery | Pickup, or your own drivers | Platform couriers | Pickup-first is the simplest start |
What a restaurant site must show
Most visits are on a phone, often while walking or deciding with friends. Put the essentials above the fold and keep the menu as real text, not a PDF.
- Menu as HTML with prices, photos of signature dishes and dietary tags (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free).
- Allergen information and a clear note on cross-contamination.
- Hours (including holidays), address, map, parking and a tap-to-call number.
- Order and reserve buttons that stay visible while scrolling.
- Real photos of the room, the team and the food.
Allergens and dietary information
Health Canada identifies priority food allergens such as peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, sesame, soy, wheat and mustard. Label dishes clearly, let guests filter by diet, and keep the online menu in sync with the kitchen — an outdated allergen tag is worse than none.
Launching ordering without kitchen chaos
Start with pickup and set a prep time buffer. Send orders to a tablet, printer or your POS if it supports online orders, and make it easy to pause ordering during a rush. Add delivery only once pickup runs smoothly.
What we built
Our restaurant showcase is a working demo with a filterable menu, dietary labels, a cart with pickup times and a reservation form. The restaurant is fictional; the build is real and you can try it from the case study.
How to add online ordering to a restaurant site
- Build one master menu. Items, prices, modifiers, allergens and diet tags in one place feed the website and any apps.
- Pick the order channel. Check whether your POS has online ordering; otherwise use a dedicated ordering flow that sends tickets to the kitchen.
- Start with pickup. Set prep times and pickup windows, and add a pause switch for busy service.
- Test a real order. Place and pay for a test order end to end on a phone, including the kitchen ticket and customer confirmation.
- Promote the direct link. Put it on your Google Business Profile, social profiles, receipts and table cards.
Frequently asked questions
- Should we leave the delivery apps?
- Not necessarily. Apps help new guests discover you. A direct ordering site gives regulars a cheaper channel and lets you keep their data. Many restaurants use both.
- Is a PDF menu good enough?
- No. PDFs are slow on phones, hard to read, invisible to search engines and inaccessible to screen readers. Use a real HTML menu.
- Can the site take reservations too?
- Yes — either a simple request form or an embed from your reservation system. Keep it on the same site so guests do not bounce between tools.
- Do we need a French menu?
- In Quebec, yes. Elsewhere, a bilingual menu helps if you serve francophone guests or tourists. We build bilingual sites with proper language tags.