Field guides from the pass.

Growth · 5 min read

What a marketplace order really costs you

Marketplaces are good at one thing: putting your restaurant in front of people who don't know you yet. That can be worth paying for. The trouble starts when you pay the same toll on guests who already know you and would happily order from you directly.

The visible cost: commission

Every marketplace order comes with a commission, a percentage taken off the order total. Your exact rate depends on the plan you signed up for, so pull last month's statement and find it. Multiply it by your monthly marketplace sales and you have the number most owners already feel in their gut.

The invisible costs

• The relationship. On a marketplace, the guest's contact details and order history usually stay with the platform, not with you.
• The shelf. Your menu sits in a grid next to your competitors, often with promoted listings above you.
• The brand. Your restaurant becomes a thumbnail and a star rating. The story, the voice and the reason people love you get flattened.

What to do with this

You don't have to quit marketplaces. A common approach is to use them for discovery and give your regulars a better, direct way to order. Start by measuring: run your real numbers through our commission calculator.

Growth · 4 min read

Moving regulars to direct ordering, politely

Your regulars like you. Many of them would gladly order straight from you if it were just as easy. Nobody needs a lecture about commissions. They need a link and a nudge.

Five low-effort nudges

1. Bag inserts. A small card in every marketplace bag: "Next time, order direct from us," with a QR code to your site.
2. Receipts. Print your ordering link on every in-store receipt.
3. The counter. A table tent or sign by the register with the QR code.
4. The staff line. Give your team one friendly sentence for regulars: "You can order ahead on our website. It's quicker."
5. Your bios. Put the link in your Instagram, Facebook and Google profiles.

Make direct the better experience

Guests switch when direct is at least as easy. That means a fast, phone-friendly site, a menu with photos and pickup times that are accurate.

Growth · 3 min read

The order button you're ignoring on Google

When people search your restaurant's name, your Google Business Profile is often what they see first: hours, photos, reviews and, often, an option to order. Where that order option leads matters.

Check yours today

1. Search your restaurant's name on your phone, the way a guest would.
2. Look for any order or menu links on your profile and tap them. Where do they go?
3. Sign in to your Google Business Profile and review the website and ordering links you control. Point them at your own ordering site.

Keep the rest current too

Accurate hours (including holidays), recent photos and replies to reviews all help guests trust what they see, and help them choose you.

Menu · 4 min read

Menu photos that sell: a checklist

People order with their eyes. A menu with good photos feels more trustworthy and makes choosing easier. You don't need a professional shoot to get there.

• Light: shoot near a window during the day. Turn off overhead lights that tint everything yellow.
• Background: keep it simple and consistent. One table surface for the whole menu looks intentional.
• Angle: shoot bowls and pizzas from overhead and burgers and sandwiches from the side.
• One dish per photo: the guest should instantly know what they're getting.
• Honest portions: photograph what you actually serve. Disappointment shows up in reviews.
• Every item: a menu with gaps looks unfinished. That's why Orderrit sources a photo for every dish.

Menu · 4 min read

Writing modifiers guests understand

Modifiers, also called options or add-ons, are where online orders most often go wrong. A missing required choice means a phone call mid-rush. A confusing label means a remade dish.

Rules of thumb

• Make real decisions required. If the kitchen can't cook it without knowing the size, protein or spice level, the guest must choose.
• Set limits. "Choose up to 3 toppings" prevents the 14-topping pizza nobody priced for.
• Name things like guests do. "Extra crispy" beats "Mod: crisp+".
• Price every add-on clearly. Show "+$2" right next to the option.
• Keep free-text notes for the exceptions. If a request comes up all the time, turn it into an option.

Operations · 3 min read

Pickup times that don't wreck the line

The promise on the confirmation screen ("ready at 6:30") is a promise your kitchen has to keep. Set it honestly.

• Start from your real ticket times at your busiest hour, not your quietest.
• Pad for the rush. A guest who waits five minutes longer than promised is annoyed. One whose food is ready early is delighted.
• Plan the handoff. A clearly labeled pickup shelf or spot by the door saves your front-of-house a dozen interruptions a night.
• Revisit monthly. If guests are regularly waiting, adjust your timing.