How to Set Up Online Ordering for Your Restaurant (Without Paying a Fortune)

You Need Online Ordering. Yesterday.

63% of restaurant orders now happen digitally. If customers can't order from you online, they're ordering from someone who lets them. That's not a trend — it's the new baseline.

The good news: setting up online ordering is easier and cheaper than most restaurant owners think. You don't need a new website. You don't need an app. You don't need to hire a developer. Here's how to do it in 2026.

Option 1: Third-Party Marketplaces (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub)

Cost: 15-30% commission per order

Setup time: 1-2 weeks

The easiest option — and the most expensive long-term. You sign up, they list your restaurant, customers find you on their app. Simple.

The problem: on a $30 order, DoorDash takes $6-9. That's often your entire profit margin. And you don't get the customer's contact info — DoorDash does. They're YOUR customers ordering YOUR food, but DoorDash owns the relationship.

Use this if: You just opened and need visibility. Treat it as a marketing expense, not a permanent strategy.

Option 2: Add an Order Button to Your Existing Website

Cost: Free to $50/mo

Setup time: 30 minutes to 2 hours

If you already have a website (even a basic one), you can add an ordering widget without rebuilding anything. Services like GloriaFood offer free embeddable order forms. Square Online also has a free tier.

The catch: free tools look free. The checkout flow is clunky, customization is limited, and there's no phone ordering or text ordering. You get what you pay for.

Use this if: You have zero budget and just need something — anything — to take orders online today.

Option 3: Dedicated Online Ordering Platform

Cost: $29-$500/mo depending on the platform

Setup time: Same day to 1 week

This is where most restaurants should land. A platform built specifically for restaurant ordering — not a generic website builder with an order form bolted on.

The best platforms handle:

• Menu management — update items, prices, availability in real-time
• Payment processing — Apple Pay, Google Pay, cards, everything
• Order routing — send orders to your kitchen (printer, tablet, or POS)
• Customer data — you own it, not a third party
• Delivery dispatch — optional, uses DoorDash/Uber drivers without marketplace fees

We built OrderHeroAI in this category. Our Starter plan is $29/mo and includes online ordering, phone AI ordering, and text ordering. The customer pays a small platform fee — you pay nothing per order.

Option 4: Your Phone Number Becomes an Ordering System

Cost: $29/mo (OrderHeroAI)

Setup time: Minutes

This is the approach we took for our own restaurants, and it's the one most owners overlook. Your phone already rings with orders. Instead of replacing the phone, make it smarter.

Here's how it works:

1. Customer calls your existing number (nothing changes for them)
2. AI answers, takes their order conversationally
3. Texts them a payment link or confirmation
4. Next time, they can reorder by texting "REORDER"
5. They can also order from your web menu anytime

No app download. No new phone number. No learning curve for your customers. They call, they text, or they click — all roads lead to a paid order.

The Step-by-Step Setup (OrderHeroAI)

Here's exactly how to go from zero to taking orders, with our platform:

No contracts. No setup fees. Turn it off anytime by removing the call forward. Your number stays yours.

What About Delivery?

You don't need to hire drivers. Our Pro plan ($99/mo) includes delivery dispatch — we automatically find the cheapest available driver from DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct and dispatch them. The customer pays a delivery fee. You pay nothing extra.

The key difference: DoorDash Drive is their driver network, not their marketplace. No 30% commission. You keep 100% of your food revenue. We just use their drivers.

The Bottom Line

Every day without online ordering is leaving money on the table. The question isn't whether to add it — it's which path gets you there fastest with the least pain.

If you want to try before you commit, call our live demo: (561) 769-2628. Order a sub from our AI. Experience it as a customer. Then imagine that on your phone line, taking orders while your kitchen focuses on cooking.