When running a takeaway it has become mandatory to have an online ordering system that really works. In this blog post, I will be delving deep into which are the best online ordering systems. We will be ranking in terms of service, affordability and technology. For more information about what is an online ordering system click here.
Disclaimer: There are no affiliate links for this article. The purpose of this article was to look into one of UK’s personal food ordering systems that DO NOT include the likes of Just Eats, Deliveroo or Uber Eats. To acquire this information and breakdown of services it was based on several telephone conversations and emails to acquire a better understanding of what these companies actually offer. How affordable are they? and is it really worth acquiring one?
Let’s get started.
Who has the best restaurant online ordering system?
Here are my top picks for the best restaurant online ordering system:
1. Ordering Direct – Best takeaway system![🏆]()
Ordering Direct is an online ordering company that is based in London. It boasts of a large portfolio of restaurants. They have the most affordable product on the market. At £9 per week, you get an array of features and hardware.
It has features like:
1. Open close store – Open and close store as you wish. Closing up for Christmas and other public holidays can all be done via the tablet.
2. Go on a break – When it gets too busy you can put the whole system on hold until you catch up with the orders. It will automatically reopen after the time you set.
3. Update the menu – Update prices and names on Menu and also you can take items offline for just today or permanently.
4. Flexible settings – Flexible settings involve customising receipts, adding longer delivery times, changing printers and many more.
5. Order support during working hours – Ordering Direct have a team of monitoring staff looking after your orders. If there are any issues they will call to resolve them.
6. Hardware included – Up to 10inch Android Tablet provided with a stand and 58mm printer as standard. 80mm printer can be added at an additional cost.
7. FREE Domain – Domain name given with package. You will never need to worry about renewals while on the package.
8. FREE SSL Certification – SSL certificates are provided as a standard to add a layer of security to your website.
Contract:
30 days Rolling contract
Receipt:
The only system to allow a fully customisable receipt section. Certain parts can be made larger and smaller in relation to self-preference. This feature cannot be found on the other systems.
Small, medium, large
Ability to add kitchen copy which is shorter
Print in Chinese (available upon request)
Hardware:
A 10inch tablet is used to receive the orders. A stand and a 58mm Bluetooth printer come as part of the package. You can add an 80mm printer instead for an additional cost. For customers suffering from wifi issues, there is an option for a 4G SIM which can be added at an additional cost.
Reviews:
Online reviews on Trust Pilot suggest they have one of the best platforms and services on the market. All reviews seem to indicate how great the service is and how well everything runs.
Price Break Down
Lite Package: (£99 set up and £6 per week) *Does not include the hardware
Web package: (£199 set up cost and £9 per week) Hardware included
Web & APP Package: (£399 set up cost and £15 per week) Hardware included
A service charge up to 50 pence per card order.
Conclusion:
Upon reviewing Ordering Direct we have seen that they are probably the most transparent out of all the Service providers in this niche. The website is up to date. Pricing is clear and it’s presented very well. You know exactly what you will get. You can call and talk directly to them without waiting hours or days for a return call.
Out of all the 5, it was the most affordable by quite a margin. Everything was quick and fast. They had a 30-day rolling contract which is brilliant and very flexible for customers. Everything about them was very professional. The way they talked and the way they made you feel. I felt like this was a company I could work with. When digging deeper with their sales guy he said online ordering is all they do. They are just pure specialists in this trade and they don’t have dozens of products. They have this one great product and they are selling it. It’s a refreshing philosophy to have. As a customer I know I am protected.
Ordering Direct was the pick of the bunch for me. It was affordable it had substance. The staff were well knowledgable and the site and the hardware were equally great.
Read Ordering Direct Full review
2. APP4
APP4 is a company based out of Derby. They specialise in ordering APPS and Website. They had a number on the website which went through to a member of staff who got me in touch with the sales lady.
It has features like:
1. Website and APP controls – You have access to control your website and APP
2. Order support during working hours – APP4 have a monitoring team present. If you require help they will assist.
Contract:
12 Month Contract
Marketing:
3 months of social media advertising for free.
Hardware:
Sumni handheld terminal – standard 58mm option for 80mm for additional £100
Reviews:
Online reviews on Trust pilot suggest they have one of the better platforms and services on the market.
Price Break Down
Setup fee 399+VAT
£50 +VAT service charge 99p (Option 1)
£60 + VAT 2% + 20p (Option 2)
Conclusion:
Our initial call to APP4 was held by the finance team instead of the sales. He quickly took my number and passed it to the sales team whom I waited a few hours to hear back from. Once we started speaking she clearly had good product knowledge and knew how to deal with my request. Getting pricing out of her was very easy and she kept it short and precise. Pricing was very fair and not overcomplicated like some of the other companies. They actually emailed over brochures and many other things to keep me hooked on. Upon seeing the hardware I was a tad unhappy, I like my hardware a bit bigger but that is according to preference. The sites and APPS looked good. Everything seemed on the right track.
The pricing were very fair. For what they were offering it is definitely a company to consider.
3. Flip Dish
Flip Dish came into the scene originally with the self-service kiosk and slowly built onto its technology with other products such as the EPOS and the ordering system. At first glance, they look like a very promising company. There are lots of products on the website and when you finally go to where you want and then click ‘Pricing’ hoping to get a great deal there is a form which you need to fill out and they will phone or email you. There is a slight wait but they do eventually call.
It has features like:
1. Open close store – Controls over the store opening times.
2. Update the menu – Update prices and names on Menu and also you can take items offline.
3. Order support – Flip Dish have a monitoring team present. If you require help they will assist.
4. Refund – You can process a refund from the hardware.
Hardware:
Flip dish provides a small handheld terminal to receive orders. It has a built-in printer inside also. The size is 58mm for the printout.
Marketing:
You get 2000 flyers and a sticker for the window.
Reviews:
Online reviews on Trust Pilot suggest they have one of the better platforms and services on the market. Most people seem pretty happy with the system and service.
Price Break Down
£325 for Website set-up
£500 APP Set Up
You also have to pay £79 a year for the IOS developer account.
Flip dish has a commission-based model: 9.5% is how much they charge however when speaking to them they were willing to go down to 7%.
Conclusion:
Upon reviewing Flip dish our initial concern was how difficult it was to get hold of a price. As a business owner, I expect pricing to be present so we know exactly what we are getting. They make you fill out a form and finally got a call within 24 hours. Which isn’t ideal.
When we saw the terminal first impression was it was a bit small and a bit fiddly. The system in general worked well. All the features expected of a system for a takeaway were all present. I personally liked the refund button which gave refunds to the customers. Concerns were mainly due to the commission structure. 9.5% seemed extremely high for a company that wasn’t really pushing for orders for you on that scale and you were subsequently paying a commission on customers that were already yours.
Another concern was the £79 per year IOS developer cost which didn’t really make sense. Most of the companies we spoke to didn’t have this cost. It seemed as though they were pushing the cost over to the customer rather than processing all the APPS from 1 developer account.
In general Flip Dish seemed like a decent company. Getting through to them was an initial issue. Pricing wise it was probably the most expensive out there. There are definitely more affordable options out there.
4. Touch2Success (Foodhub)
Touch2Success or Food Hub as they liked to be called nowadays is a company based in Stoke-On-Trent however almost 90%+ of their workforce is all in India.
It has features like:
1. My Takeaway APP – Edit and control the entire system via a dedicated APP for the owner.
2. Order support during working hours – Touch2Success has a monitoring team present. If you require help they will assist.
Contract:
12 month contract
Marketing:
Food hub and Big Foodie
Hardware:
5inch tablet with inbuilt printer 57mm with inbuilt card swipe facility.
Reviews:
Online reviews on Trust Pilot suggest they have a lot of work to do on the service and transparency of the product. A lot of customers did seem very confused with how the payments were taken or how difficult it was to cancel the service.
Price Break Down
Setup £299 including VAT in total
However, that amount is broken into 2 parts
£149 upfront and then £150 once you start and that will be deducted from DATMAN (This is their payment gateway they use)
£30 per week including VAT in total
However that £30 is broken down into 2 payments £12 from Direct Debit £18 will come from DATMAN (where the money for the orders go)
Transaction Charges:
3.4% + 20p per card transaction. Payout every Tuesday before 5pm
Conclusion:
Touch2Success or Foodhub as they liked to be known now is quite an interesting company. The first thing I realised was that all the staff were from India. Every call and every service is taken abroad which isn’t a bad thing however reading some of the reviews their lack of service has been a big cause of concern when you sign up. Many reviews suggest they do not get the appropriate service they feel they could get if it were based in the UK.
Further, they take money off you very oddly. It’s almost as though they do not want you to feel as though they are taking too much so they take a small chunk as direct debit and the other amount from your order’s money that comes into your DATMAN account.
Some of the plus points of this company were that it does have several products that the other companies do not like the Rider tracking APP and access to Foodhub and Bigfoodie platforms which they do add as free exposure.
Features wise they probably have the most condensed in one but the ultimate feeling was that service was a big factor to be concerned about.
5. Order YoYo
Order YoYo is a company based out of Denmark. They have offices in London which they operate from. To get in touch we filled out a form and they did get in touch in due course.
It has features like:
1. Partner Centre – You can control several aspects of service such as closing the store early and controlling the menu.
2. Order support – Order Yoyo has a monitoring team present. If you require help they will assist.
3. Marketing – Facebook Organic, Google Advertising. Emails are sent out once a month
Hardware:
An Android tablet and a 58mm printer are provided.
Reviews:
Online reviews on Trust pilot suggest they are facing some real problems with the fundamentals of the product. Many customers complain they can’t order or that the restaurant has not received the order. Recent reviews suggest these issues are yet to be resolved.
2.3 Score on Trust pilot
Price Break Down
Order YoYo work on a commission structure. They do not charge for Website and APP however their commission goes a bit like this:
Below £500 per month – 9% Commission
Under £1500 per month – 8% Commission
Under £2000 per month – 7% Commission
Over £2000 per month – 6% Commission
Conclusion:
OrderYoyo was quite a confusing company. Although pricing wise it was an average-based company some of the reviews about the product were quite worrying. Getting a 2.3 on Trust Pilot is quite the statement as to where the company’s future lie. The commission structure is all a bit much to take in. They couldn’t tell us the exact pricing as an agent has to come down to discuss this.
The sales guy also admitted the hardware is quite outdated and they are apparently working on a new model for the back end of the year.
If the fundamentals of a company are not present ie. receiving orders then it is quite a worrying state of affairs for Order YoYo.
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