Industries
Online Ordering Systems for Restaurants
Third-party delivery apps take a meaningful commission on every order, which adds up fast for a restaurant doing real volume. A custom ordering system on the restaurant's own site keeps that revenue, at the cost of building and maintaining the ordering flow directly.
I've built this pattern using Shopify's Storefront API as the commerce backend with a custom frontend, plus a WhatsApp ordering path as an alternative to standard checkout for restaurants where customers prefer confirming orders directly.
What's Included
- checkMenu with modifiers and options (sizes, add-ons, special requests)
- checkCart and checkout, or WhatsApp ordering as an alternative path
- checkOrder status tracking for the customer
- checkKitchen-facing order notifications
- checkDelivery zone and fee configuration if the restaurant delivers directly
Suitable For
Restaurants with enough consistent order volume that third-party delivery commissions are a real, ongoing cost, and restaurants that want more control over the ordering experience and direct customer relationship than a delivery marketplace app allows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this replace delivery apps entirely?add
Not necessarily — many restaurants run both, using the custom system for direct orders (often at better margin) while still listing on delivery apps for their additional reach and delivery logistics.
How does WhatsApp ordering work?add
Customers build an order on the site, which generates a pre-filled WhatsApp message summarizing the order for the restaurant to confirm directly — useful when customers want to clarify special requests before the order is finalized.
Do you handle delivery logistics too?add
The ordering and payment side, yes — actual delivery logistics (driver dispatch, routing) typically stay with the restaurant's existing delivery staff or a separate logistics integration, depending on scale.