Uber Eats, DoorDash, SkipTheDishes: platforms take between 15% and 30% per order. On a $40 order, you keep $34 at best, $28 at worst.
Plenty of restaurant owners want out. Fewer look into what's waiting on the other side. This article walks through the real options — without selling you a miracle fix.
1. A website with an online ordering module
You have a site, or you commission one. You add an integrated ordering module — Square, Toast, or something similar.
What it looks like in practice: the customer visits your site, picks their dishes, pays. You collect with no middleman, or with a very low commission (1% to 3% depending on the platform).
The real upsides:
- You own the customer data.
- It feeds your Google ranking if properly configured.
- Predictable monthly cost, often $50 to $150/month depending on the service.
The real limits:
- The customer has to find you, go to your site, create an account or re-enter their details every time.
- The friction is real. Less visibility than a platform.
- If your site isn't fast and mobile-friendly, abandonment is high.
Worth considering if you already have a loyal base actively searching for you online.
2. A branded mobile app
An app with your logo, your menu, your loyalty program. The customer downloads, orders, reorders.
The real upsides:
- Strong brand presence.
- Built-in loyalty program possible.
- Zero commission on orders.
The real limits:
- Development: $10,000 to $50,000 for a working app, depending on complexity.
- Ongoing maintenance, iOS/Android updates, bugs to fix.
- Friction is at its highest: asking a customer to download an app to order a poutine is a lot.
- Install rates are low for independent restaurants.
A realistic option for chains with multiple locations. Hard to justify for a single restaurant.
3. The in-room QR code
You put a QR code on the tables. The customer scans, browses the menu, orders from their phone.
The real upsides:
- Very simple to set up.
- Reduces order errors in the dining room.
- Near-zero cost with a basic tool.
The real limits:
- It isn't a delivery solution. It's a dine-in ordering solution.
- For takeout or delivery orders, it solves nothing.
- The customer has to be physically inside your venue.
Useful for improving the dine-in experience. Doesn't replace a delivery platform.
4. WhatsApp ordering with integrated payment
The customer sends you a WhatsApp message. An AI agent replies, takes the order, confirms the details, triggers payment through Stripe. You collect 100% of the amount.
The real upsides:
- Zero friction for the customer: WhatsApp is already installed on nearly every phone.
- Zero commission on the order.
- Payment happens inside the conversation, with no redirect to another site.
- No account to create, no app to download.
The real limits:
- It requires an initial setup: WhatsApp Business connection, AI agent configuration, Stripe integration.
- It isn't a plug-and-play tool you configure alone in 10 minutes.
- If your customer base barely uses WhatsApp, adoption will be slower.
This is the model we built at Teza Solutions. The agent replies 24/7, handles common questions, confirms every order. The restaurant supervises but doesn't step in manually on each exchange.
What this means for you
There's no single right answer. It depends on your customer base, your order volume, and what you're ready to put in place.
- A website fits if you want to invest in your online presence long term.
- A mobile app fits if you run several locations and have the budget.
- A QR code fits for improving the dine-in experience — not for delivery.
- WhatsApp fits if you want the zero-friction, zero-commission option that's operational quickly.
One thing is certain: continuing to hand over 15% to 30% per order is a choice. Not an obligation.
If you want to explore what this would look like for your restaurant, write to us. We'll figure out what makes sense together.