The answer is simple:<\/strong> keep the platforms as a channel for visibility and new customers, but stop basing your entire delivery business there. Your goal is not to “cut them off” suddenly. It is to gradually move repeat customers to your own ordering channel, where you control the relationship, the experience and the cost.<\/p>If you run a restaurant, café, grill house, burger shop or takeaway business, platforms can bring you orders you might not get otherwise. The problem starts when every customer, even one who already knows you, continues to order only from there. Below, you will see practical steps to keep your presence on the platforms, while reducing dependence and commissions.<\/p>
1. Treat platforms as “acquisition”, not the basis of your turnover<\/h2>
The first step is to change the way you see them. Platforms do not have to be your main till. They can be the shop window that introduces you to new people. This means you do not only measure how many orders they brought, but how many of those customers come back directly to you.<\/p>
In practice, do this:<\/p>
- For 2-3 weeks, note how many orders come from each platform.<\/li>
- Identify the new areas or neighbourhoods where people find you there.<\/li>
- See which dishes are ordered most often from platforms.<\/li>
- Set a goal to move some repeat customers to your own channel.<\/li><\/ul>
Do not start with a “I’m leaving tomorrow” mindset. Start with a “I’m keeping the visibility, but building my own ordering route” mindset. This way, you reduce risk and make better decisions.<\/p>
2. Build your own ordering channel before making any change<\/h2>
You cannot ask customers to order directly if you do not give them an easy way to do it. A phone number on its own is not always enough, especially when customers are used to seeing a menu, photos, options, extras and the final amount before sending their order.<\/p>
You need a simple, clean channel where customers can order without friction. It can be your own online ordering system, with a link and QR code for Instagram, Google, delivery bags and your shop front. If you are looking for the thinking behind this model, see the guide Online orders without commission<\/a>.<\/p>For example, Wiiz Eat works as the restaurant’s own online ordering system, not as a marketplace. It charges €0.15 per accepted order, €250 one-off activation, prices excluding VAT and with no commitment. Rejected orders are not charged.<\/p>
3. Give customers a reason to order directly<\/h2>
Customers do not change habits simply because it suits you. They change when they understand that it is easy, safe and perhaps better for them too. That is why you need to communicate clearly why they should use your own channel.<\/p>
You can give reasons such as:<\/p>
- “Order directly from us and support the place you love.”<\/li>
- “Find our full menu with photos and options on our own link.”<\/li>
- “For collection from the shop, place your order online and avoid the wait.”<\/li>
- “If something has sold out, we hide it from the menu straight away so there is no confusion.”<\/li><\/ul>
Avoid a complaining tone, such as “the platforms take too much from us”. Customers want a simple solution, not grumbling. Tell them what to do: “Scan the QR on the bag”, “tap the link on Instagram”, “find us on Google”.<\/p>
4. Put the message at every touchpoint<\/h2>
If your own link exists only somewhere hidden on your profile, nothing will change. Customers need to see it constantly, without you tiring them out. Think of all the points where you already have contact with them and put the QR or link there.<\/p>
Start with the basics:<\/p>
- Delivery bags with a QR sticker.<\/li>
- A card inside the order with a clear message.<\/li>
- Shop front or till area for takeaway customers.<\/li>
- Instagram bio and highlights.<\/li>
- Google Business Profile, where you can add an order link.<\/li>
- Collection receipt or printed menu, if you use one.<\/li><\/ul>
A hypothetical example: if you put 100 cards a week into orders and even a few customers try direct ordering, you are building a habit. Not everyone needs to move in the first week. You need a steady reminder.<\/p>
5. Keep a different menu strategy on the platforms<\/h2>
You do not have to use exactly the same commercial strategy everywhere. Careful: we are not talking about rushed or confusing changes that annoy the customer. We are talking about smart menu set-up, so the platforms serve a specific role.<\/p>
You can do the following:<\/p>
- Keep your most recognisable and strongest dishes on the platforms.<\/li>
- Put a fuller menu, with options and extras, on your own channel.<\/li>
- Promote daily specials or seasonal products directly.<\/li>
- Hide anything that has sold out immediately, to reduce cancellations and phone calls.<\/li>
- Use better photos in your own ordering environment.<\/li><\/ul>
The key is that customers should not feel they are being “punished” because they order from a platform. You simply want to make your own channel fuller, clearer and more direct.<\/p>
6. Train your team to promote the right route<\/h2>
The change will not happen with QR codes alone. It will happen when the whole team says the same thing, naturally. The person at the till, the person who answers the phone and the delivery driver can all help a lot, as long as they have simple instructions.<\/p>
Give them ready-made phrases:<\/p>
- “Next time, you can also order from our own link, it’s on the bag.”<\/li>
- “If you want collection, you can do it online and find it ready.”<\/li>
- “On the QR you’ll see the full menu with options and extras.”<\/li><\/ul>
Do not ask them to sell with pressure. Ask them to inform. Also, put one person in charge of checking every day that the opening hours, preparation times, minimum order, delivery charge and available dishes are correct. If customers try your own channel and find mistakes, they are unlikely to come back.<\/p>
7. Measure progress with simple indicators<\/h2>
You do not need a complicated system to know whether you are reducing your dependence on platforms. You need a few indicators, steady monitoring and clear decisions. Every week, note what came from platforms and what came directly.<\/p>
Track:<\/p>
- Number of orders from platforms.<\/li>
- Number of direct online orders.<\/li>
- Phone orders.<\/li>
- Orders for collection.<\/li>
- Which channels bring repeat customers.<\/li>
- How many mistakes or cancellations arise per channel.<\/li><\/ul>
A hypothetical example: if today 80% of your orders come from platforms and 20% come directly, set your first goal to reach 70%-30%. Then 60%-40%. You do not need to chase perfection. You need to steadily move part of the demand to where you have more control.<\/p>
8. Negotiate and decide calmly, not angrily<\/h2>
Platforms charge commission on every order and do not publish one fixed percentage for everyone. In Cyprus, restaurants reported 19-25% per order with delivery and 10% for collection, according to the Cyprus Mail in January 2025. This does not mean the same applies to every business, but it shows why you need to know your terms.<\/p>
Before you negotiate or change anything, make a list:<\/p>
- Which platforms really bring you new customers.<\/li>
- Which orders could come directly.<\/li>
- Which dishes can absorb the commission and which cannot.<\/li>
- When it is worth accepting orders and when the kitchen comes under pressure.<\/li><\/ul>
If you have your own channel, you negotiate from a better position. You do not depend on one source only. You keep the platforms for what they do well: visibility and an inflow of new customers. And at the same time, you build your own customer base.<\/p>
