Third-party delivery apps charge restaurants 15 to 30 percent of every ticket. On a $40 order, that can be $12 gone before you’ve paid for the food, the cook, or the box it left in. Restaurant online ordering doesn’t have to work that way. When the order happens on your own website, you keep the margin, you keep the customer’s contact info, and you keep control of the experience. Here’s how East Texas restaurants are making that switch without giving up the reach the apps provide.
What Third-Party Apps Really Take From Every Order
The big platforms earn their fees on discovery. Someone in Lufkin opens an app, sees your listing, and orders. That’s real value the first time. The problem is you pay the same commission on the fiftieth order from a regular who would’ve ordered from you directly if you’d given them a way to do it.
Run the math on your own numbers. If you do $8,000 a month through delivery apps at a blended 25 percent commission, that’s $2,000 a month, $24,000 a year, mostly paid to re-acquire customers you already won. The National Restaurant Association has tracked this squeeze for years: delivery demand keeps growing while margins stay thin. The fix isn’t quitting the apps. It’s making sure repeat business lands somewhere you don’t pay rent on.
7 Ways Restaurant Online Ordering Pays You Instead of the Apps
1. Put ordering on your own website
This is the foundation. A direct ordering page on your site takes cards, fires the ticket to your kitchen, and charges you a flat processing fee instead of a percentage of the food. We build these as part of our eCommerce setups, sized for a single dining room or a multi-location group.
2. Use the apps for discovery, not loyalty
Keep your DoorDash or Uber Eats listing. Let it introduce you to new customers. Then move the second order to your own site with a bounce-back card in every bag: “Order direct next time and save 10 percent.” You’re trading a one-time discount for the 25 percent you’d pay forever.
3. Make your menu the fastest page on your site
Most restaurant traffic is a hungry person on a phone. If your menu is a PDF that takes eight seconds to load, they’re back on the app before it renders. A real HTML menu with photos, prices, and an order button is the single highest-traffic page you own. Treat it that way.
4. Own your customer data
The apps never give you the diner’s email or phone number. Your own restaurant online ordering system does. That list is how you fill slow Tuesdays with a text or email blast instead of hoping the algorithm shows your listing to somebody.
5. Point your Google Business Profile at your own ordering page
Google lets you set an ordering link directly on your profile (see Google Business Profile help). Most East Texas restaurants leave this blank or let a third party claim it, which quietly routes Map Pack traffic through a commission. Claim it and point it at your site. Our GBP management service handles this along with photos, posts, and reviews.
6. Price third-party menus higher
There’s nothing wrong with charging more on the apps to cover their cut. Most chains already do. Keep your direct prices lower and say so on the app listing where allowed: “Full menu and better prices at our website.” Customers who care will follow.
7. Promote direct ordering everywhere you already talk to customers
Table tents, receipts, to-go stickers, your Facebook page, the phone greeting. “Order at our website and skip the fees” costs nothing to say and compounds every month. Pair it with local SEO so people searching “online ordering near me” in Lufkin or Nacogdoches find your site first.
What Restaurant Online Ordering Costs in East Texas
Less than most owners expect. A direct ordering setup typically adds a few hundred dollars to a website build plus card processing around 3 percent, a fraction of app commissions. If you’re doing more than about $1,500 a month through delivery apps, direct ordering usually pays for itself in the first quarter. Our pricing page breaks down what full builds run, and we’ll give you a real number for your situation, not a range.
Where to Start
If your current site can’t take an order, start there. We’ve built restaurant sites across East Texas since 1999, and every one we ship now includes a mobile-first menu, Map Pack optimization, and an ordering path you own. Learn more about our restaurant website design work, or skip ahead and request a free quote. Prefer to talk it through? Call (936) 225-4705 and tell us what you serve.
How much do third-party delivery apps charge restaurants?
Commission tiers typically run 15 to 30 percent per order depending on the plan and whether the platform handles delivery. On top of that, customers often pay service fees that make your menu look more expensive than it is.
Can I add online ordering to my existing restaurant website?
Usually, yes. If your site is on WordPress or another modern platform, an ordering system can be added without a full rebuild. If the site is old, slow, or not mobile-friendly, fixing that first will make the ordering investment pay off faster.
Do I have to leave DoorDash if I add direct ordering?
No, and you probably shouldn't. The apps are useful for reaching new customers. The strategy is to let them handle discovery while your own website captures the repeat orders you're currently paying commission on.
How much does restaurant online ordering cost in East Texas?
A direct ordering setup generally adds a modest one-time cost to a website build plus standard card processing of around 3 percent per transaction. Compare that to 15 to 30 percent per order on the apps and the break-even point comes quickly for most restaurants.
How do customers find my online ordering page?
Three main paths: your Google Business Profile ordering link, local search results for terms like "online ordering near me," and your own promotion through receipts, packaging, and social media. Local SEO ties all three together.
Matt Massey
Matt Massey is the owner and lead developer at MasseyMedia. Matt earned a Bachelor’s in Business Management and another in Marketing from the University of Utah. Matt started MasseyMedia during college to pursue his college degree and has been growing the company for over 25+ years.
As a seasoned IT executive, I have spearheaded numerous transformative projects that have streamlined operations, enhanced organizational capabilities, and driven sustainable growth. My expertise spans designing and implementing robust web-based information systems, managing comprehensive IT functions, and leading diverse teams to deliver projects that exceed expectations.
At MasseyMedia, Inc., I have been the driving force behind over 400 successful website launches and numerous IT development projects. My approach integrates strategic planning with hands-on leadership to diversify product offerings and expand business horizons. From introducing advanced hosting solutions to integrating cutting-edge network infrastructure, my focus has always been on leveraging technology to solve complex business challenges.
My career is defined by a passion for technology, a commitment to excellence, and a relentless pursuit of innovative solutions that drive efficiency and competitiveness. I am eager to connect with like-minded professionals and organizations looking for a leader to transform their IT landscapes and guide them through the complexities of modern technology.
