7 Best Restaurant Online Ordering Systems to Choose From

Online ordering and delivery have seen a meteoric rise in the last few years, which is no surprise to restaurants.

In 2019, 1.17 billion people used food ordering and delivery services Globally. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of global users surged by 30 percent, to nearly 1.5 billion. In 2024, experts predict that there will be 2 billion users of global food delivery services.

Restaurants are taking advantage of the popularity of online ordering and delivery.

There are numerous online ordering systems on the market, and the ideal one for a particular restaurant will be determined by your needs and preferences.   

The ideal  online ordering system is one that is easy for guests and staff to use, is cost-effective, and is created expressly for the restaurant industry with features that business owners need.   

Strong marketing features, an easy-to-use loyalty program, a completely customizable drag-and-drop website building option, a branded mobile app for fast ordering, report-generating tools, and  POS system integration are the key elements that online ordering software should have.  

1. Lower commission cost from third-party delivery services: Third-party commissions can consume up to 30% of your profit on each sale. Your own online ordering platform considerably reduces such costs. 
2. Easier online order management: This enables your team to easily accept incoming online orders and begin working on them right away.   
3. Own your customer data: maintain all of your clients' information in a single spot, which is essential when creating marketing campaigns, tracking customer purchase history, loyalty, and so on.   
4. Create websites and an online presence: advanced online ordering systems for restaurants sometimes include a website builder, which allows for the creation of a branded website and the expansion of your online presence. 
5. Improve customer loyalty: Online ordering systems assist restaurant operators in keeping customers loyal to their business for longer. 
6. Create real-time reports: Create real-time reports to assist track how your business is performing. 

There are three ways to build an online ordering system for your business. The first is through your restaurant's point-of-sale (POS) system. A POS with online ordering will take orders, route them to the kitchen, and notify front-of-house staff when a customer or delivery person is picking up the order. Look for a POS that makes it easy to create an ordering page via an e-commerce integration, such as Shopify.  

A second approach is to check to see if your POS is compatible with a third-party ordering app. Some POS systems won't have native online ordering software, but they can sync with an app for an additional fee. Restaurant POS systems that take online orders include Upserve, Toast, and Square for Restaurants. The advantage of using this option is that it is extremely easy to set up and start accepting orders; you will also be able to maintain customer order information in one unified record, which includes transaction details from in-restaurant dining with online ordering records.  

Finally, you can utilize a marketplace delivery service such as UberEats or Door Dash. These apps are created exclusively for the restaurant business and can thus be quite easy to set up and start. Third-party apps, however, can take between 10% and 30% of each sale they deliver, so beware of hefty costs and incompatibilities.   

Consider the following factors when deciding which option is best for your restaurant:

1. Cost: Third-party ordering apps and marketplace delivery apps can charge a yearly subscription or take a cut of each sale.
2. Visibility: Although third-party apps are more expensive, they provide a means to reach customers who may not know about your restaurant.
3. Ease of use: ensure that whatever platform you select is intuitive for the staff and does not cause a back-of-house traffic jam.
4. Compatibility: Does the solution you're contemplating integrate with your current system?
5. Consumer loyalty: While a marketplace app may provide you with visibility, it does not provide you with much consumer information that can be leveraged in marketing to increase loyalty.
6. Customer experience: how easy is it for a guest to browse your menu, make a selection, request changes, and pay?

An online purchasing system might seem like an expense, but it will continue to bring in revenue. According to some estimates, restaurant delivery sales will increase by more than 20% each year to $365 billion worldwide by 2030 if online purchasing is implemented.

MenuDrive   

MenuDrive is for restaurants who wish to build a branded online ordering experience through a dedicated website. This method enables restaurant owners to convert their menus into interactive websites that allow consumers to customize their orders. MenuDrive allows you to make changes to your menu, store hours, and promotions from any device with an internet connection.

Flipdish 

Flipdish is an online ordering and delivery platform that allows restaurants to establish their own mobile app and website for online ordering. This online ordering system includes features such as real-time report generation, customer database management, and integrated payment processing.

Customers can utilize the platform to order food online and pay for delivery or pickup from the restaurant.

Restaurantify  

Restaurantify is a  restaurant website building platform that creates restaurant websites with their own mobile app and website for online ordering. Where you can connect the order APIs to any delivery management system you choose and confirm orders from your smartphone or tablet with our online – ordering system.

Restaurantify's restaurant websites allow restaurant owners to turn their menus into interactive websites that allow consumers to customize their orders.

Cake 

CAKE is a full-service POS and management system with online ordering. It's one of the few alternatives that allows restaurants to manage both online and in-person orders on the same platform.   

Customers can place personalized orders through your restaurant's website or Facebook page using its online ordering system.   

This system also includes a curbside pickup management tool to ensure that the right customers receive the right orders.  

Upserve 

Upserve is another full-service restaurant management tool with an online ordering system that interacts with its POS system, payments service, and mobile app. It has a reputation for being user-friendly and easy to adapt and operate. You can integrate the online ordering gateway into your restaurant's website.

Inventory management, analytics, and a customer loyalty program are among the features of Upserve.

1. Free systems often come with hidden costs.   
2. The finest restaurant online ordering system is one that provides users with a branded experience. A loyalty program, POS system connectors, and customer data collection options are all included in the menu, app, and website.   
3. Few online ordering systems, unlike Restaurantify, offer integration with third-party apps.   
4. Many free online ordering systems omit important aspects of managing and operating a restaurant.