Work out what a marketplace costs you in a year. Take last month's orders through it, multiply the commission, then multiply by twelve. For most kitchens the number lands somewhere between a part-time wage and a full one. That is the real price, and it is charged on the customers who were already yours.
The commission is only half of it. The other half is that the marketplace keeps the relationship. They have the email address, the order history and the reason to advertise a competitor to the same person next week. You are renting access to your own regulars.
Start with the orders you already own
The first move is not to leave the marketplace. It is to stop paying commission on the people who would have ordered from you anyway.
Regulars, locals, anyone who arrived because they know your name: those orders can move to your own site immediately, and they are the highest-margin orders you have. Put the link on your receipts, your bags, your window and your social profiles. A takeaway that prints "order direct next time" on every bag moves a meaningful share within a couple of months.
What ordering on your own site has to do
A direct ordering page only works if it is not worse than the app people are used to. That means:
- A menu that is right today. Prices, photographs, sizes and extras, changed by you in seconds rather than by a support ticket.
- Pickup and delivery on your terms. Your own zones with their own fees, your minimum order, your prep time, your service hours.
- Card payment that lands in your account, not a payout schedule someone else controls.
- A pause button. One click to stop taking orders when the kitchen is buried, without phoning anyone.
- Allergen information attached to the dish rather than a PDF from last spring.
With Webkio the restaurant ordering system is part of your site rather than a widget bolted to it, and card payments go straight into your own Stripe account. There is no per-order commission, on any plan.
The customer list is the part that compounds
Commission is the cost you can see. The list is the asset you never got.
Every direct order builds a customer record you own: what they ordered, how often, and an address you may email. That is what makes a quiet Tuesday fixable. A marketplace will never hand that over, because it is the whole basis of their business.
Be honest about what the marketplace still does
Discovery. Someone in a new part of town who has never heard of you will find you there, and that is worth something.
The sensible position for most kitchens is both: keep the marketplace for reach, and move the regulars to direct. Every order that moves is one you keep the full value of, and the switch costs you nothing per order.
What to do this week
- Put your menu online where you control it - see how to set up your menu.
- Turn on pickup, then delivery once pickup is running smoothly.
- Print "order direct" on every bag and receipt, with a short link.
- Email your list once to say direct ordering exists. Do not discount it; just tell them.
Start free and take your first direct order this week. If you want the whole picture first, the restaurant website guide covers the site around the ordering.
FAQ
How much do delivery marketplaces actually charge?
Commission varies by platform, country and whether they deliver, and typically falls somewhere between 15% and 30% per order. Check your own statements rather than a headline rate, and include any card and service fees.
Will I lose customers by leaving a marketplace?
Most kitchens do not leave. They keep the marketplace for discovery and move regulars to direct ordering, so the orders that were never at risk stop carrying commission.
Do I need a separate app for direct ordering?
No. Ordering lives on your own website, so customers order in a browser with nothing to install, which is exactly why direct ordering converts better than asking someone to download something.
How do I get paid?
Card payments go into your own Stripe account. You can also take cash on collection or delivery.