With 51 percent of customers placing orders online or through an app, restaurant owners have an opportunity to boost sales by catering to this growing demand. Third-party delivery apps — such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Postmates — provide consumers with flexibility and choice when it comes to ordering takeout and delivery. However, the growing number of delivery apps can also lead to chaos for restaurant operators who have to set up and maintain multiple tablets in order to manage all of the incoming orders.
One way restaurant owners can streamline the process is through the use of software solutions that combine multiple third-party delivery services into one easy-to-use streamlined platform. Here’s a look at some of the top options currently available on the market.
Chowly
Chowly takes third-party online orders and transmits the data directly to your restaurant’s POS system. Orders are sent straight to the kitchen and printed, much like orders placed directly at your restaurant.
This software is designed to save restaurant owners time without sacrificing quality. Chowly can be set up in your restaurant in just five to seven business days and the same team that implements it will be available for ongoing support at no extra charge.
Pricing: Plans start at $79 per month and the company offers a 30-day risk-free trial.
Square
Another company that’s aiming to centralize restaurants’ ordering, delivery, and payment processing structures into a single interface is Square. Many restaurants are already using this company’s “Square for Restaurants” service to manage their payment processing and payroll. Now, they will also have the option to access all of their third-party delivery service app orders through the Square POS system for an additional fee.
App orders are automatically processed and sent to the kitchen through one single tablet, with no manual data entry required. All online orders, third-party delivery service apps, menus, payment processor, and more can now be housed together, within one single touchpoint. Technical support is also available 24/7 along with implementation assistance.
Pricing: Square for Restaurants starts at $60 per month, per location, and includes one point of sale. There is also a 2.6 percent plus $0.10 per transaction fee. Restaurant operators can test the waters with a 30-day free trial.
SpotOn + ItsaCheckmate
The dynamic duo of SpotOn and ItsaCheckmate have partnered to offer restaurant owners a comprehensive solution to integrating all of their third-party delivery apps directly into their current SpotOn Restaurant POS. The system works by automatically sending orders placed through a third-party delivery platform directly to a restaurant’s POS system. The printed kitchen ticket will include the name of the delivery service, order number, customer name, and the items ordered. SpotOn also offers the ability to add online ordering to your restaurant’s website, counter service display screens, and table-side ordering with handheld devices.
Pricing: SpotOn Restaurant costs $65 per month plus the cost of the hardware and a one-time setup fee. Restaurant operators also receive 24/7 technical support, initial face-to-face staff training, and ongoing virtual training at no extra cost.
OrderOut
Touting cloud-based software that links a restaurant’s current POS system to third-party delivery service apps, OrderOut currently integrates with 13 different POS systems. Customers’ online orders from apps like Delivery.com, Postmates, and Uber Eats are pushed into a restaurant’s existing POS system. Then, OrderOut detects the order and sends it to your kitchen printer, including detailed delivery partner and food item data. Since this is a plug-and-play product, you can potentially begin using it immediately, depending on your POS system, delivery apps, and number of locations.
Pricing: The company charges a flat monthly rate. However, a list of prices and plans is not currently available on OrderOut’s website. The company states that pricing varies depending on a number of factors, such as the type of POS system your restaurant uses, and how many locations you have.
Delivering a Simplified Solution
Third-party food delivery services are poised to account for $16 billion in sales by 2022. Restaurant owners who don’t want to be left out of the takeout and delivery boom should make streamlining their process for managing third-party orders a priority. Software solutions like Chowly, Square, SpotOn/ItsaCheckmate, and OrderOut can help by eliminating the need for busy kitchens to juggle incoming orders from multiple sources.
To learn more about all the restaurant food delivery app options, check out our e-tool, “Top Third-Party Food Delivery Services.”
