Why Restaurants Are Ditching Third-Party Delivery Apps

1. The commission problem

Commissions of 20–30% can erase a restaurant’s margin on every order. On thin-margin food, that is the difference between profit and loss, and it scales with success: the more you sell through the marketplace, the more you hand over.

Many restaurants quietly raise their menu prices on these platforms to survive, which means their best, most loyal customers end up subsidising the marketplace fee.

2. Who owns the customer?

When orders come through a marketplace, the customer belongs to the marketplace. Your own app means you keep the relationship, and the data. You learn who orders, what they like, and how often they come back, instead of being a faceless kitchen behind someone else’s brand.

3. Taking back control

A branded ordering app lets you set your own prices, run your own offers, and talk to your regulars directly, without paying a toll on every plate. You decide the delivery radius, the menu, the promotions, and the timing.

• Keep the margin that the marketplace used to take
• Build a list of customers you can message directly
• Run your own loyalty and promotions
• Control your menu, pricing, and delivery rules

4. Will customers actually switch?

Regulars are happy to order direct when you give them a reason, a small discount, loyalty points, or simply a faster, friendlier experience. The customers worth keeping are the ones who already love your food; they just need to know your app exists.

Promote it on receipts, on the counter, on packaging, and on social media. Within a few months, a healthy share of repeat orders moves off the marketplace and onto your own channel.

5. A sensible transition

You do not have to quit the marketplaces overnight. Many restaurants keep them for discovery while steadily pushing loyal customers to order direct. Over time, the marketplace becomes a top-of-funnel tool rather than your only channel, and your margins recover.