Direct ordering
Example: A Brooklyn pizzeria nudges guests toward ordering on its own site with a QR code on every table and free loyalty for direct orders, keeping the platform commission it would otherwise hand an aggregator on each pie.
orders through your own site
A customer ordering through your own website or POS (Toast, Square, Olo, ChowNow), bypassing aggregators. You pay only the card-processing fee — no platform commission.
Why it matters
The primary margin-recovery lever available to most restaurants. Every shifted order keeps the commission that would have gone to a platform. Two patterns work: aggressive website CTAs with obviously-better unit economics (e.g., free loyalty on direct), and in-restaurant nudges (QR codes on menus, signage near the door) pointing to the direct path.
Frequently asked
What is direct ordering?
Direct ordering is a customer ordering through your own website or POS (Toast, Square, Olo, ChowNow), bypassing aggregators. You pay only the card-processing fee — no platform commission.
Why does direct ordering matter for a restaurant?
The primary margin-recovery lever available to most restaurants. Every shifted order keeps the commission that would have gone to a platform. Two patterns work: aggressive website CTAs with obviously-better unit economics (e.g., free loyalty on direct), and in-restaurant nudges (QR codes on menus, signage near the door) pointing to the direct path.
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