Delivery apps (Glovo, Wolt, Uber Eats, Bolt Food) solve a real problem: they bring you customers who wouldn't have found you otherwise. They also take 25–35% of every order. For a $30 order, you're handing $7.50–10.50 to the platform before counting your food costs.
The math is simple: at 30% commission and 30% food cost, you're left with 40% margin from which you still need to pay staff, rent, and utilities. For many restaurants, delivery app orders are break-even or mildly profitable at best.
The solution is not to leave delivery apps entirely — they're a customer acquisition tool. The solution is to use them for discovery and move customers to direct ordering for repeat purchases.
Why customers use delivery apps (and how to change their habit)
Customers use delivery apps because:
- Habit — they already have the app installed
- Discovery — they find new restaurants through browse/search
- Trust — familiar payment, tracking, reviews
- Convenience — they don't know another option exists
Only #1 is hard to change. The others can be addressed directly if you give customers a better or equivalent experience through your own channel.
The key insight: customers who order from you repeatedly through Glovo don't prefer Glovo — they just haven't been given a reason to switch. A first-time customer may find you on the app. A fifth-time customer could easily be moved to direct ordering.
Step 1: Build your direct ordering channel
You need a place for customers to order from you directly. This means:
A restaurant website with online ordering. Not just a website — one that handles the full order flow: browse menu, add to cart, place order, pay, receive confirmation.
Options:
- Restmarket: Free restaurant website with ordering built in. Customers order from
yourname.restmarket.com. You get 100% of the revenue (0% commission on direct orders). - Your own website with a plugin: WooCommerce, Shopify, or ordering plugins like Bopple or Flipdish. More control, but requires setup.
- WhatsApp ordering: For small restaurants, a structured WhatsApp ordering flow works. More manual, but zero technology cost.
The direct channel doesn't need to be perfect on day one. It needs to work reliably, look professional enough to trust, and be easy to use.
Step 2: Make your packaging work for you
Every delivery from an app is an opportunity to promote your direct channel. The customer has your food in their hands — they're engaged.
Add a card or sticker inside every delivery:
"Order directly next time and get 10% off."
yourname.restmarket.com
This is the highest-converting moment for direct channel acquisition. The customer is already satisfied (they liked the food enough to finish the order). You're offering them a clear benefit.
Cost: a pack of 500 business cards is $15–20. If even 5% of recipients switch to direct ordering, the math is excellent.
Stamp the outside of the bag. Some restaurants print their URL and direct ordering offer on the bag itself. Visible, zero effort from the customer.
Step 3: Build an incentive to switch
Customers need a reason to change their habit. A discount is the most straightforward:
First direct order discount: "10% off your first order on our website." One-time, easy to offer, low cost.
Ongoing loyalty: Customers who order directly are enrolled in a loyalty program. Every 10 orders = 1 free meal. Aggregator orders don't count. This creates long-term stickiness without constant discounting.
Exclusive dishes or items: A dish available only on your website creates a reason to visit directly. It doesn't need to be your best dish — just something that can't be ordered through the app.
Faster delivery / priority handling: Direct orders go to the top of the queue. Customers who have waited too long on an aggregator notice this immediately.
Step 4: Collect and own your customer data
When a customer orders through Glovo, you don't get their name, phone number, or email. Glovo owns that relationship. When they order through your website, you do.
This data is the real asset:
- Phone number / email: For order confirmations, re-engagement campaigns, and loyalty program updates
- Order history: What they order, how often, how much they spend
- Preferences: Dietary preferences, favorite dishes, delivery address
With this data, you can:
- Send a message when their favorite dish is available
- Re-engage customers who haven't ordered in 30 days ("We miss you — here's 10% off")
- Build genuine loyalty that compounds over time
Aggregators make this impossible by design. They want the customer relationship, not you.
Step 5: Reduce app presence gradually
Don't leave delivery apps cold turkey. The right approach:
Phase 1 (months 1–3): Stay fully present on apps. Add direct ordering channel. Start inserting package promotions. Collect data on early direct orders.
Phase 2 (months 3–6): Measure % of repeat customers who switched to direct. Identify which customer segments convert best. Increase promotion of direct channel.
Phase 3 (6+ months): Optionally reduce your presence on lower-performing apps (raise your minimum order value, pause promotions, remove yourself from platforms with the worst margins).
Some restaurants eventually leave all apps. More commonly, they use apps for discovery of new customers and their own platform for retention. The balance shifts from 90% apps / 10% direct to 50–50 or better.
What to measure
Direct order rate: What % of total orders come through your own channel? Track monthly. Growth is the signal.
Customer lifetime value (direct vs. app): Customers who order directly typically have higher LTV because you can retain them through loyalty and re-engagement.
Commission savings: Every 10% of orders shifted to direct = significant savings. A restaurant doing $30,000/month in delivery revenue at 30% commission pays $9,000/month. Moving 40% to direct saves $3,600/month.
Repeat rate: What % of first-time customers order a second time? Direct channel customers typically repeat at higher rates because you can re-engage them.
Common objections
"We'll lose orders if we're less visible on the apps."
You may lose some discovery-stage orders. But the repeat customers you're moving to direct were going to order regardless. You're not losing them — you're changing the channel.
"Customers won't bother to switch."
They will if the incentive is right and the experience is at least as good. The 10% discount alone converts a meaningful percentage. Loyalty programs convert more over time.
"We don't have time to manage another ordering channel."
A good restaurant platform is largely automatic. Orders come in the same way as app orders — you receive a notification, confirm, and prepare. The dashboard takes 15 minutes to set up.
"Our app rating will drop if we push customers away."
You're not pushing customers away — you're inviting your loyal customers to a better deal. New customers still find you on the apps. Your rating is driven by food quality and delivery execution, not by which channel customers use.
The long-term picture
Every restaurant that successfully builds a direct ordering channel gains something that compounds: a customer list that grows, a loyalty program that retains, and revenue that isn't taxed 30% per transaction.
The delivery apps aren't going away, and they'll remain useful for discovery. But letting them own your entire revenue stream and customer relationship is giving away the two most valuable assets in your business.