How to get takeaway customers to order direct

Most takeaways don't need to quit the delivery apps. They need their regulars to stop ordering through them. People who already know your food are the orders you pay commission on for no reason, and they're also the easiest to move.

These are the things that work, roughly in order of how much they move.

1. Put your link where hungry people already look

• Your Google Business Profile. Add your ordering link as your website and as the order link. A lot of people search your name, then tap whatever Google shows them. See our Google Business Profile checklist.
• Social media bios. Facebook, Instagram and TikTok all have a link field. Use your ordering link, not a link to the app.
• The window and the counter. A printed QR code people can scan while they wait, with one line: "Order direct next time and skip the queue."

2. A QR code on every bag

Every app order is a chance to win the next one. A sticker or a printed card in the bag with a QR code to your site and a reason to use it: "10% off your first order direct." This works best on app orders, because those are exactly the customers you're trying to move.

Keep it to one sentence and one code. Leaflets with the whole menu get binned; a sticker on the bag gets scanned.

3. Give a reason to switch

People switch for a reason, not out of loyalty. Good reasons that cost you less than the commission you save:

• A first-order discount on your own site (10–15% is common).
• Free delivery over a set amount when ordering direct.
• The same prices as in the shop. Many takeaways charge more on the apps to cover commission. If you do, say so: "Cheaper when you order direct."

4. Tell people on the phone

Phone orders tie up a member of staff at the busiest time. When someone rings, finish the order, then add: "You can order on our website next time, and it's quicker for you." Have the web address printed by the phone.

5. Keep them coming back

Once someone has ordered direct, you have their details (with their permission for marketing). That's the part the apps keep for themselves.

• Thank them by text or email when the order is confirmed.
• Send an offer on a quiet night to customers who said yes to marketing.
• Ask for a Google review once they've had a good meal.

Measure it

Count your app orders and your direct orders each week. You're aiming for the direct share to climb month by month, not for the apps to stop. When regulars are mostly direct, the apps go back to what they're good at: finding you new customers.

Direct Dine gives you the ordering site, the welcome offer, the customer list and text offers for a flat monthly fee from £29, with no commission. Start a 30-day free trial.