The Best of Online Ordering & Delivery Technology for Restaurants

For the vast majority of people, gone are the days of keeping a book of paper menus on hand for nights when they want to order in. With the rise of technology and the ubiquitous nature of mobile apps, ordering food–and arranging for its swift delivery–has never been easier. This has been beneficial for consumers, of course, but also for restaurants.

Smartphones have effectively become modern-day food courts that provide restaurants with the opportunity to market to new customers. But not all apps are created equal; there are a variety that your restaurant can choose from and depending on both your business goals and type of cuisine, you might find some apps to be more useful than others. Our experts have identified a variety of different order and delivery options for you to explore below.

Who it's best for

Restaurants who want to tap into a large global network of users

Things to consider

UberEats has higher commission fees than some of their competitors (30% for the premium tier) but one of the largest user networks.

Where it excels

They have some good name recognition with customers, and often run deals on the app to encourage more people to spend money at the restaurants that list with their service. They also have a sustainability initiative; partnering with a like minded delivery service is key for some brands to maintain integrity with their own initiatives in the eyes of their customers.

UberEats was launched by renowned ride share app, Uber, in 2014. Today, UberEats is a staple for mobile ordering and food delivery in over 6,000 cities worldwide, which means listing on their app provides restaurants with a wide variety of hungry customers.

Who it's best for

Great for both small and larger businesses

Things to consider

DoorDash’s commission fees are on par with UberEats but they do offer a 30-day free trial for their Plus and Premium tiers, giving your restaurant a chance to see if there’s enough value in it to make the investment. There is a good amount of fine print in their pricing, so be sure to read closely.

Where it excels

Has the largest overall market share of all delivery apps, and provides customers with access to grocery, convenience, and liquor stores as well.

Feature overview

• Access Storefront, customizable and commission-free online ordering though your website, social media, Google Search and Maps. 

• Use On-Demand Delivery to offer delivery from your own app or site by tapping into DoorDash’s network of Dashers. 

• Streamline on-site operations with Bbot, DoorDash’s in-store digital ordering and payment solution

Who it's best for

Those who want to build out their own brand online as well as handle ordering and delivery from one single platform.

Things to consider

Some restaurants may not want all of the features included in Sociavore’s package, especially if they aren’t also building a website.

Where it excels

No commission fees!

Feature overview

• Visually represent your brand with an ordering system that has endless design customizations

• Maintain a direct relationship with customers and retain ownership of your guest data to drive more traffic to your online ordering

• Send orders directly to your POS (Square + others) or Cloud Printer

• Create your delivery zones with minimum order requirements and access North America's largest network of on-demand delivery drivers

• Set delivery fees, free delivery thresholds, and custom delivery schedules

• Enjoy built-inGoogle food ordering and control of your kitchen with order pacing

Who it's best for

Pizzerias! It was designed and built by pizzeria owners, for pizzeria owners.

Things to consider

If you plan to expand outside of the pizzeria business, then you may want to consider another partner. Slice doesn’t handle deliveries, so if you need a partner who does, keep that in mind.

Where it excels

For those choosing to implement the entire Slice register system, the equipment they offer is designed and built especially to hold up in a pizzeria environment. The software is able to handle complex orders but is easy to train employees on. Live 24/7 support is available for both restaurants and customers.

Feature overview

• Integrates with every major online ordering platform, including Grubhub, Doordash, UberEats, and over 30 additional platforms

• Train employees on the POS interface with ease

• Add on website building, marketing, brand management, and other services should you need it

• Pull up customer history with caller ID to improve the customer experience

Who it's best for

Independent, small to medium-sized chains, quick-service, fine dining, food trucks, and specialty cuisine establishments.

Things to consider

ChowNow doesn’t have as sizable a customer base as some of the competitors and has limited features, like only allowing for only one menu through your POS.

Where it excels

Works via a subscription model instead of commissions-based like other 3PO partners, this could save restaurants a lot in monthly commissions fees.

Feature overview

• Boost your online profit margins with website ordering and the ChowNow app

• Enjoy commission-free orders across all channels

• Opt into the Order Better Network, one of the largest networks of popular ordering sites

• Streamline your operations with flex delivery

• Access over 30 POS integrations

• Expand your marketing efforts with automated email marketing and access to full customer data

Our evaluation process

We’ve developed a process to find the best ordering and delivery platforms for restaurants to maximize their profits and their reach. Here’s how we did it.

Surveys and other research with people in the industry

We conducted surveys and gathered feedback from operators and employees across different service models and segments with experience using these systems on a day-to-day basis.

Interviews with Back of House restaurant tech experts

We also gained insights from our staff of experts who have years of experience in the industry and with restaurant technology.