Your Own Ordering App: How Pizzerias Can Keep More of Every Order

If you run a pizzeria with your own drivers, you already do the hard part of delivery. You make the food, you pay the drivers, and you deal with the customer when something goes wrong. Yet if most of your online orders come through a third-party delivery app, a big slice of each order goes to the app, often somewhere around 15% to 30% depending on the plan.

There's another way. A branded ordering app, with your name and your menu, lets regulars order straight from you.

Why Third-Party Apps Cost More Than the Fee

The commission is the obvious cost, but it isn't the only one:

• Customers pay more. Delivery apps often add service fees and marked-up menu prices, so your regulars pay extra for the same pizza.
• You don't own the customer. The app keeps the customer's contact info and order history. You can't easily send them a deal or thank them for coming back.
• You compete on your own listing. Customers browsing the app see your competitors right next to you.

None of this means delivery apps are useless. They can help new customers find you. But your loyal regulars, the people who order every Friday, don't need an app to discover you. They already know you.

What a Branded Ordering App Does

Your own app puts your logo on your customers' home screens. It lets them:

• Browse your full menu with photos and prices
• Customize orders (toppings, sizes, sides)
• Choose pickup or delivery by your own drivers
• Pay in the app
• Reorder their usual in a couple of taps

You get the order straight to your kitchen, without a commission on top.

Who It Works Best For

A branded app makes the most sense if you:

1. Have your own delivery staff. If your drivers already handle delivery, you keep that money in-house.
2. Have a loyal local base. Pizzerias, Chinese and Thai takeout, wing spots, and family restaurants with lots of repeat customers win the most.
3. Get a lot of phone orders. An app takes pressure off the phone line on busy nights and cuts down on order mistakes.

If you rely on third-party drivers for every delivery, a branded app can still help with pickup orders.

How to Move Regulars to Your App

Building the app is step one. Getting regulars to use it is step two. A few simple moves:

• Put a flyer or sticker in every box with a QR code to download the app.
• Offer a first-order perk, like a free side or a small discount for ordering direct.
• Tell phone callers. "Did you know you can order on our app next time?"
• Add it to your website and Google Business Profile so people searching your name find the direct option first.
• Keep prices fair. If ordering direct is cheaper than the delivery app, customers will notice.

What About Your Website?

Your website and your app should work together. Your site is where new customers find you on Google. It should show your menu, hours, phone number, and a clear "Order Online" button that sends people to your own ordering, not to a third-party app.

Thinking About Your Own App?

WebJoy builds branded ordering apps and websites for local restaurants, available on the App Store and Google Play. Each one is built around your menu and your delivery area, so your drivers and your business keep more of every order.

See our restaurant website design or contact us to talk about an app for your restaurant.