The handbook · Run and grow
Online ordering
Many orders start in the phone. The question is not whether you should be there, but how much of the bill you get to keep.
Summary
Wolt, Foodora and Uber Eats give you guests you cannot reach on your own, but they take 15 to 35 percent of every order. An ordering page through Lumit costs 7 percent. On a bill of 300 kronor the difference is 54 kronor. Many restaurants gain from having both and steering the regulars to their own page.
Numbers to plan with
- 15 to 35 %
- of the bill is what the apps charge, depending on the contract
- 7 %
- is what one order through Lumit on your page costs
- 54 SEK
- is the difference on a bill of 300 kronor between app and page
- Day 1
- is when online ordering has to work. Many guests never try the phone.
Three ways to take an order
The phone still works, but it ties up one person at the counter and becomes hard when there is a queue. The apps handle everything but charge for it. Your own page is the cheapest but requires you to do the work of being seen.
Almost every smaller restaurant needs at least two channels. What matters is knowing what each one costs you.
- Phone: free, but it takes time in the rush and easily gives wrong orders
- The apps: new guests without your own work, but a fixed share of every bill
- Your own page: a larger share of the bill stays with you and you see who the guests are
- Let all three land in the same cash register, otherwise the daily report never adds up
What is left of a bill of 300 kronor?
Here is the same order in two channels. The bill is the same for the guest. What differs is what is left in the account when the day is over.
| Item | Via app | Via own page |
|---|---|---|
| The bill the guest pays | 300 SEK | 300 SEK |
| VAT to the Swedish Tax Agency, 6 percent on takeaway | 17 SEK | 17 SEK |
| Fee to the app, 25 percent | 75 SEK | 0 SEK |
| Fee for your own page, 7 percent | 0 SEK | 21 SEK |
| Left for ingredients, staff and rent | 208 SEK | 262 SEK |
How to move guests to your own page
Nobody changes channel by themselves. The guest uses the app because it is already in the phone. You have to give a reason and remind them again and again.
Plan for it taking a few months before you notice it. After that your own channel often keeps growing on its own.
- Put a note in every bag: order direct next time, same price, faster
- Have the QR code in the window, on the table and on the receipt
- Point the order button in your Google Business Profile to your own page
- Give something small to the guest who orders direct: a drink, a dip, a stamp card
Set different prices in different channels
If you have the same price in the app as in the restaurant, you pay the app fee out of your margin. Many restaurants therefore add ten to twenty percent in the apps.
The guest rarely compares between channels, but notices if your page is cheaper. That is exactly the difference you want.
- Raise the price in the apps so your margin is the same as in the restaurant
- Keep the price on your own page the same as the price in the restaurant
- Do not run discounts in the apps that you do not have on your own page
- Check the prices in every channel the same day you change the menu
The apps that bring you new guests
These three are the biggest in Sweden. They all take a share of every order, and they can all be negotiated with.
Foodora
Biggest in SwedenAvailable in the most towns and has the most users. For restaurants outside the big cities it is often the only app that gives volume.
- Most users in the country
- Their own couriers, you need none
- High fee on every bill
- The guest stays the app's customer
Wolt
Strong in the citiesBig in large cities and student towns. The app is well liked and support answers quickly when something goes wrong with an order.
- Good app that the guests like
- Reaches younger guests
- Does not cover every town
- Same fee model as the others
Uber Eats
Big city and touristsStrongest in Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö. Visitors from other countries often have the app installed already when they land.
- Wide reach in the big cities
- Easy to get started with
- Weaker in smaller towns
- The fee sits at the top of the range
Your own channel
Here you keep a larger part of the bill and the contact with the guest. It requires you to tell people the page exists.
Lumit
Our tipSwedish system for an ordering page, cash register and payment. The guest orders on a page with your name and your prices, and the order goes straight to the kitchen. Works for pickup, table ordering and delivery.
- 7 percent per order instead of up to 35
- The guests become yours, not the app's
- Same prices as in the restaurant
- You have to send the guests there yourself in the beginning
Common questions
Do I have to be on the apps?
No, but in the beginning it is wise. The apps give you guests who would never have found you. The goal is that they become regulars who order direct from you.
What does it cost to be on Foodora or Wolt?
15 to 35 percent of every order, sometimes plus a start fee. Where in the range you land depends on whether the app delivers the food for you or you handle delivery yourself. The contracts can be negotiated if you have volume.
Can I pause the apps when the kitchen is full?
Yes, they all have a pause or a way to extend the delivery time. Use it rather than sending out cold food. A late Friday with a longer wait is fine. A cold dish gives a one star review that stays for years.