Online ordering surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, and restaurants had to adjust quickly to keep serving customers. That shift created lasting habits, which continue to influence how people buy food. North America held over 27% of the global online food delivery market in 2024, and the U.S. market is expected to grow at a 9.6% CAGR from 2025 to 2030.
Customers now expect simple ordering steps, clear updates, and reliable delivery choices. Third-party platforms gained attention during this period, yet rising fees and limited access to customer details created new concerns for restaurants. These issues encourage more businesses to adopt direct ordering channels.
This blog highlights the main benefits of online ordering in 2026.
Quick Overview
Direct online ordering helps restaurants keep more revenue by avoiding third-party commissions that chip away at every sale.
Customers now expect quick ordering options across dine-in, pickup, and delivery, pushing restaurants to build reliable first-party channels.
A direct system gives restaurants real customer data, enabling better promotions, loyalty rewards, and higher repeat purchases.
Digital ordering reduces phone delays, manual errors, and bottlenecks, helping teams handle rush hours with fewer staff.
Platforms like iOrders give restaurants the tools to run their own ordering, delivery, and retention programs without relying on marketplaces.
Why Online Ordering Holds Greater Importance in 2026
Restaurants face steady increases in food costs, labor shortages, and customer expectations for quick ordering on any device. These pressures push owners to rely more on digital channels to maintain order consistency and protect margins.
Direct online ordering has become a practical way to manage demand, maintain control over pricing, and meet customer expectations without adding extra strain on staff. Here are the key factors leading to this shift:
Third-Party Commissions Cut Into Margins: Fees of 15–30% take a noticeable share of every order, especially when high-volume items sell through marketplace apps instead of direct channels.
Customers Expect Faster Ordering Steps: Guests move quickly from browsing to checkout, and slow pages or extra clicks often cause them to drop the order entirely.
Growing Demand for Direct Ordering: More customers prefer ordering through a restaurant’s website or app, giving operators a steadier flow of direct sales instead of marketplace passthroughs.
Owning Customer Data Improves Decision-Making: Insights on frequent buyers, ordering patterns, and busy hours help restaurants refine menus, prepare staffing, and design better promotions.
Branded Mobile Ordering Is in High Demand: Customers want ordering flows that reflect the restaurant’s look and feel, not a generic marketplace setup where many brands blend together.
These changes show why direct online ordering has become a core part of how restaurants serve guests, manage costs, and plan for the months ahead.
Online Ordering Trends Impacting Restaurants in 2026
Owners are increasingly prioritizing control over their margins, customer relationships, and brand identity. The online ordering trends shaping 2026 clearly reflect this shift.
Commission-free ordering becoming a priority: After years of watching delivery fees cut into profits, many operators now see direct, commission-free channels as an essential option. It’s no longer just a cost-saving choice; it’s part of staying competitive.
White-label delivery is gaining traction: Restaurants want delivery without surrendering their brand. White-label delivery allows owners to offer the convenience guests expect, while keeping the customer on their turf—not a marketplace page.
AI stepping into everyday operations: Practical AI is helping restaurants handle review responses, streamline menu recommendations, and optimize ordering flows. Owners get back precious time while maintaining consistency.
Mobile app ordering is becoming a customer habit: Guests are using restaurant-specific apps more often, especially for repeat orders, loyalty rewards, and faster checkout. The restaurants that offer an easy, branded mobile experience are winning more of those repeat visits.
QR codes expanding beyond dine-in menus: What started as a pandemic workaround is now a versatile tool, used for pickup ordering, loyalty sign-ups, and reorders. Guests like the ease, while restaurants like the automation.
Personalization powered by data: Tailored recommendations, targeted offers, and smarter upsells are becoming the norm. Restaurants are using guest insights to boost order value and improve the experience, something marketplaces can’t do for them.
However, before committing to online ordering, you need to think through the essentials so you build a system that works for your restaurant, not against it.
What to Evaluate Before Launching Online Ordering
Stepping into online ordering can open new revenue streams, but there are a few things you need to consider, such as:
How delivery will be fulfilled: Decide whether your team handles deliveries or if you’ll rely on a white-label provider. In-house delivery gives tighter control over service quality, while white-label keeps things simple without the heavy commissions of marketplaces.
POS compatibility and integrations: Your online ordering setup should sync with your POS to avoid manual entry, missed orders, or delays. A clean integration saves labor during peak hours and reduces errors.
Unified order management: Managing dine-in, pickup, and delivery from one screen helps your staff stay organized. This becomes especially important during rush periods when orders come from multiple channels.
Brand presence and customer ownership: The ordering experience should reflect your restaurant’s personality. A branded interface ensures customers remember you, and you keep ownership of customer data for future marketing.
Built-in marketing and retention tools: Look for systems that support loyalty programs, automated promotions, re-engagement messages, and email/SMS campaigns. These tools help convert one-time customers into regulars without extra effort.
Delivery costs vs commissions: Weigh the cost of running delivery yourself, including drivers, packaging, insurance, against the long-term commissions from third-party apps. For many restaurants, a hybrid model is the most realistic path.
Once the foundational considerations are in place, the next step is understanding how online ordering can actively strengthen revenue and customer lifetime value.
Benefits of Online Ordering for Restaurants That Drive Higher Revenue
A strong online ordering system gives restaurants more than a new way to take orders. It helps shape guest habits, lift order sizes, and build long-term loyalty. Here’s how it helps your restaurant grow:
1. Higher Order Values Through Smart Upselling
Digital ordering encourages guests to build their meals more intentionally. Examples include:
Add-ons and upgrades are shown at checkout
Suggested pairings for sides, drinks, or desserts
Timely prompts based on what customers usually order
These nudges often lead to larger tickets, especially during busy hours when staff may not get the chance to upsell in person.
2. Steady Repeat Purchases Through Loyalty Programs
Direct ordering gives restaurants a reliable channel to reward regulars. Loyalty programs keep guests engaged through:
Points or rewards after certain purchase milestones
Exclusive perks
Targeted offers based on visit patterns
This keeps returning guests active and strengthens the restaurant’s overall revenue consistency.
3. Email and SMS Marketing Encourages Return Visits
With direct ordering, restaurants don’t depend on marketplace visibility. They can reach past customers directly to:
Announce menu updates
Promote limited-time deals
Re-engage guests who haven’t ordered recently
These touchpoints help bring customers back at a steady pace.
4. Direct Ordering Strengthens Customer Lifetime Value
Shifting even a portion of orders to a direct system adds long-term gains:
Better margins through reduced commission dependence
More predictable weekly revenue
Stronger, more personal relationships with regulars
Increased control over branding, promotions, and customer data
Together, these advantages help restaurants grow revenue not only from single transactions but throughout the entire customer lifecycle.
Practical Examples of Online Ordering Done Right
Restaurants today are implementing the benefits of online ordering through direct ordering. The examples below show how different types of restaurants apply these advantages every day.
Independent Restaurants Reducing Commission Costs: Encourage guests to order directly through your own link using QR codes, Google Business Profile ordering buttons, and social posts. This helps shift regulars away from marketplace apps and protects your margins.
QSRs Improving Order Processing Speed: Use fire-on-time ordering, automated ticket routing, and prepaid pickup flows to handle peak hours more smoothly. These tools help shorten queues and keep the kitchen on pace during high-volume periods.
Ghost Kitchens Coordinating Delivery Workflows: Rely on unified dashboards and integrated delivery dispatch tools to manage multiple menus and brands from one place. This keeps prep schedules tighter and improves driver turnaround.
Cloud Kitchens Managing Multiple Brands Efficiently: Use a central ordering system to consolidate all direct orders, track demand across virtual brands, and adjust prep based on real-time volume. This creates better visibility and improves production planning.
Local Cafés and Small Eateries Strengthening Repeat Business: Set up loyalty rewards, personalized offers, and reorder reminders to help guests return more often. These features work well for businesses with a steady base of regulars.
You’ve seen how online ordering drives real results, but managing it across multiple tools can slow everything down. What if everything you need lived on a single platform built to handle it all?
How iOrders Helps Restaurants Unlock These Benefits
Running a restaurant in 2026 comes with constant pressure from rising delivery fees, fewer hands per shift, unpredictable order volumes, and customers who expect speed every time. Many owners want to grow online orders but feel stuck between high marketplace commissions and clunky in-house tools that don’t solve the real problems.
iOrders is built to address those exact frustrations. The platform gives restaurants practical, margin-friendly tools that simplify ordering, improve delivery workflows, and help bring guests back more often.
Commission-Free Online Ordering: Set up direct ordering on your website or app so repeat guests stop flowing through fee-heavy marketplaces. This helps you keep more revenue per order and maintain control of your pricing and customer relationships.
Website and QR Code Ordering: Offer easy ordering for dine-in, pickup, and delivery. QR codes at tables, takeout counters, and storefronts help guests place orders instantly without waiting for staff.
Delivery-as-a-Service (In-House + White-Label Delivery): Use your own drivers or connect with white-label delivery partners like DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct. Flat fees, branded delivery flows, and no marketplace commissions give you full flexibility without the usual cost hit.
Centralized Order Management + POS Integration: Manage all orders from one place so your team isn’t juggling multiple tablets or typing tickets by hand. POS syncing helps reduce mistakes and keeps the kitchen running smoothly during peak times.
Loyalty, Rewards, and Smart Campaigns: Build repeat business with automated rewards and tailored offers that reach guests directly, without relying on marketplace visibility or ads.
AI-Powered Review System: Respond to reviews and common questions automatically so you save time while still staying attentive to customer feedback.
If you want fewer fees, smoother service, and stronger repeat business, schedule a demo and see iOrders in action
Conclusion
Online ordering now influences how often guests order, how much they spend, and which restaurants they stay loyal to. Owners who rely solely on third-party apps face higher costs and lose control of their customer relationships, while those who run their own ordering channels achieve steadier revenue and stronger guest retention.
The value is clear: a direct system helps you keep more from every order and understand what your customers actually want. The real hurdle is finding a platform that fits the day-to-day flow of a busy restaurant.
iOrders addresses those pain points directly. It gives restaurants a clean, branded ordering system, dependable delivery options, and tools that bring repeat customers back without extra effort from your team.
Ready to bring more orders through your own channels? Book a demo and see how iOrders can support your restaurant
FAQs
1. Do restaurants need a separate staff member to manage online orders?
No. A well-built system routes orders directly to your POS or kitchen display, so your team doesn’t need to monitor multiple tablets. Most restaurants handle online orders with their existing staff once the workflow is set.
2. Can online ordering work for small restaurants with limited seating or kitchen space?
Yes. Many small eateries use online ordering to balance demand, reduce phone interruptions, and manage pickup windows. It helps them control order pacing without overloading the kitchen.
3. How can restaurants shift customers from third-party apps to direct ordering?
Simple tactics help: place QR codes on packaging, promote direct links on Google and social media, and offer loyalty rewards available only through your own channels. Over time, regular customers switch naturally.
4. Is an online ordering system useful for dine-in-focused restaurants?
It can be. Table-side QR ordering speeds up service, reduces wait times, and helps teams handle peak hours with fewer staff. Guests often appreciate the convenience even if they’re eating in.
5. Do restaurants need a mobile app, or is a website enough?
A mobile-friendly site is usually enough to start. Apps become more valuable when a restaurant has strong repeat business, wants to offer a smoother reordering flow, or plans to run a loyalty program with ongoing rewards.
