Industry Focus
Restaurants
Digital Infrastructure
Delivery apps take 30% of every order. Direct online ordering builds margin. We build infrastructure that captures revenue platforms want to siphon.
Operating Reality
Restaurant digital systems fail revenue capture for platform-dependency reasons:
Delivery app commissions destroy unit economics. DoorDash takes 15-30%, Uber Eats takes 15-30%, and Grubhub takes 15-25% per order. A restaurant doing $1M in annual revenue can lose $150K-$300K to platform fees. These platforms also own the customer relationship: you pay commission on repeat customers who were already loyal to your restaurant. Direct ordering through your own website is the only path to sustainable delivery economics.
Local discovery determines dining decisions. 75% of diners choose restaurants based on online search results. Google Maps, Yelp, and Google Business Profiles determine where spontaneous diners, tourists, and new residents eat. Chain restaurants with hundreds of locations and dedicated marketing teams dominate local search with review volume and consistency. Independent restaurants without deliberate local SEO are invisible at the exact moment someone is deciding where to eat.
Instagram has permanently changed how diners evaluate restaurants. User-generated food photos on Yelp and Google often represent your restaurant with poorly lit smartphone shots. Without professional photography you control, your visual first impression is determined by random customers. Restaurants that invest in professional food photography and actively manage their visual presence see measurable conversion increases.
Third-party delivery has trained customers to expect app-based ordering, but the economics are often negative. A $30 DoorDash order nets $21-25 after commission, before food cost, labor, and packaging. Many restaurants lose money on delivery. But opting out means losing the 30-40% of customers who now expect delivery. Direct ordering channels are the only path to profitable delivery volume.
What we actually fix
Direct ordering recaptures margin. Online ordering systems you own, with pickup and delivery options. Every direct order is 30% more profitable than a platform referral.
Local SEO fills tables. Google Business optimization, review management, and local content ensure you appear when hungry customers search nearby.
Visual storytelling creates desire. Professional food photography and appetizing design that make people hungry-which is the entire point.
Systems we build
Each capability applies specifically to restaurants operations.
Proof and context
Common questions
How do you help restaurants reduce delivery app fees?
By building direct online ordering into your website through platforms like ChowNow, Toast Online Ordering, or Square Online that you own and control. When customers order directly, you keep the full margin instead of paying 15-30% to DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub. For a restaurant doing $200K/year in delivery orders through third-party apps, switching even 30% to direct ordering saves $9,000-$18,000 annually in commission fees alone. We also build in-restaurant table cards and packaging inserts that redirect existing delivery customers to your direct ordering channel for future orders. The key is making your direct ordering experience as frictionless as the app experience.
What about OpenTable and reservation fees?
OpenTable charges $1 per direct reservation and up to $7.50 per network reservation (guests who find you through OpenTable's platform). For a restaurant seating 100 covers per night, that adds up to $36K-$270K annually depending on your booking mix. We evaluate whether the referral traffic justifies the cost for your specific situation. Alternatives like Resy (now owned by American Express), Yelp Reservations, or direct booking widgets through your website can reduce per-cover fees significantly. For restaurants where OpenTable drives genuine discovery traffic, we optimize your listing while simultaneously building direct reservation channels that reduce dependency over time.
How important is food photography?
It is the single highest-ROI investment a restaurant can make in its digital presence. Restaurants sell cravings, not calories. Professional food photography that captures the texture, steam, and presentation of your dishes directly increases click-through rates from Google search results, conversion from website visitors to reservations, and engagement on social platforms. We coordinate with food photographers who specialize in restaurant work, not wedding photographers who shoot food on the side. The shoot covers hero dishes, interior ambiance, bar program, and seasonal features. Most restaurants recoup the photography investment within 60-90 days through increased direct bookings.
This works for:
Restaurants ready to reduce delivery app dependency
Establishments with food worth photographing professionally
Multi-location groups needing flexible local systems
This is not for:
Restaurants satisfied with platform-only delivery
Establishments without budget for food photography
If direct revenue capture and local visibility matter to your restaurant, we should evaluate your current digital infrastructure.