Commission is not the only problem with the platforms
The commission delivery platforms charge shows up in the margin immediately, and it is why most restaurants start looking for alternatives.
The less visible cost is different: the customer is not yours. You do not have their details, you cannot send them an offer, you cannot build the habit of ordering directly. When the platform changes its terms, you have nothing to fall back on.
What the application covers
- Your own menu, with availability by time of day and a quick switch-off when a dish runs out
- Ordering at the table through a QR code, with no installation, sent straight to the kitchen
- Delivery and collection orders, with your own zones and fees
- A kitchen display with orders in arrival order and preparation times
- Options and customisations per dish, with their own prices
- Customer history and a repeat order in one click
Realistically, the platforms are not going away
Most restaurants that build their own app stay on the platforms as well, for new customers. The difference is that regulars gradually migrate to ordering directly, where they are treated better and where the margin stays whole.
So the application is designed to win people over through speed and concrete benefits for the customer, not merely by being yours.