Online orders are not just delivery
When people talk about online orders for restaurants, they immediately think of Deliveroo and JustEat. But digital ordering is much broader and includes channels far more profitable than traditional delivery (which charges 20-35% commission).
B2C (Business to Consumer) covers private customers: delivery, take-away, lunch pre-orders and QR-menu table orders. Typical ticket: 15-30 EUR, immediate payment, speed expected.
B2B (Business to Business) covers corporate clients: office catering, recurring work lunches, canteen supply and corporate events. Average ticket 5-10x higher than B2C.
B2C order flow
Channels include your own app or website (full margin), delivery platforms (20-35% commission), WhatsApp and QR-menu table ordering. Strategy: use platforms to acquire new customers, then move them to your direct channel to eliminate commissions.
B2B order flow
Corporate orders are gold for restaurants: predictable, high-ticket, recurring. A contract with a 50-person office for daily lunch can be worth 2,000-4,000 EUR/month in guaranteed revenue. Channels include a dedicated portal with custom pricing, email/phone for large orders and group management platforms. BiteBase manages B2B groups with a company manager who sees all employee orders, unified monthly invoicing and custom pricing.
Kitchen workflow for online orders
- Dedicated printer for online orders, separate from dine-in tickets.
- Time slots to limit orders per hour and avoid overloading the kitchen.
- Reduced delivery menu — not every dish travels well.
- Quality thermal packaging.
- Status tracking for customers.
Delivery commission math
On a 25 EUR order with 30% food cost: revenue 25 EUR minus platform commission (30%) 7.50 EUR minus food cost 7.50 EUR minus packaging 1 EUR = 9 EUR remaining. With additional labor (3 EUR) and allocated fixed costs (2 EUR), profit is just 4 EUR (16%). The same order through a direct channel yields 11.50 EUR — nearly triple.
Common mistakes
- Offering the full menu for delivery — risotto after 40 minutes is a sticky mass.
- Ignoring packaging costs — 1-2 EUR per order, 30 orders/day = 900-1,800 EUR/month.
- No time slot limits — 20 delivery orders at 1 PM plus 60 dine-in covers equals kitchen chaos.
- Same prices on commission channels — raise prices on platforms to maintain margin.
FAQ
Is delivery worth it at 30% commission? As a customer acquisition channel, yes. As primary revenue, no. The goal is to move customers to your direct channel.
How do I manage B2B orders? Dedicated portal, custom pricing and monthly invoicing.
Can I do online orders without delivery? Yes. Take-away eliminates rider costs and works well for lunch.