Pickup Orders: The Easiest Way to Start Online Ordering
If you want your first online orders, do not start with delivery. A pickup order needs no courier, zones or fees, because the guest comes to you. For a small venue, online orders for pickup are the cheapest and calmest way to begin.
In short
- With pickup there is no courier, no time on the road and no platform commission. You only prepare and hand over.
- The guest orders on their phone, gets an order number and comes at the agreed time. They pay cash at the counter or online by card, depending on your settings.
- The ready time is a promise. Set it longer than the real figure and shorten it later, not the other way round.
- You need a counter, numbered bags and one person responsible for handover at peaks.
- When pickup runs well, add delivery by zones. Test first, expand later.
Why pickup is the best start
Delivery looks like the logical next step, but it brings a whole set of new tasks: couriers, bags, fuel, late orders, unhappy guests at the door. With a pickup order most of them simply disappear. The guest arrives when the order is ready and takes care of the road.
The second reason is money. Every order through an outside platform carries a commission, and delivery has a real cost. So compare not revenue but what is left after costs. More on commissions in the article on online ordering without commission.
| - | Pickup | Own delivery | Delivery platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Courier | Not needed | Your person, example €3.00 | Built into the guest price |
| Commission | 0 % | 0 % | Example 25 %, about €3.75 |
| Team time | Handover only | Handover and travel | Handover and courier prep |
| Risks | Few | Delays, wrong addresses | Dependence on the platform |
| Left per order (example) | €15.00 | about €12.00 | about €11.25 |
Food and labour costs are the same in all three columns, so they are left out. What matters is the difference: with pickup you lose nothing on the way to the guest. You only need good organisation.
There is a hidden benefit too: a guest who comes in enters your venue. They see the counter, the display case, and often add a drink or dessert on the spot. A courier never brings that sale. And if the guest is happy, next time they order directly from you, not through someone else's platform.
Of course, pickup is not for everyone. If you are somewhere nobody passes, or your audience is mostly tourists in hotels, delivery may make more sense. But for a neighbourhood venue, bakery, pizzeria or café with a lunch trade, pickup is almost always the right first step.
The path of a pickup order
The goal is that the guest never has to ask what they ordered, when to come and where to collect. All of it should be clear before they pay.
In Menuto the guest picks dishes on your website, enters a name and phone number and chooses how to pay. If you enabled both, they can pay cash on pickup or online by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. After ordering they get an order number and can follow its progress. In the ordering settings you switch pickup on or off and set the hours when you accept orders.
Realistic ready times and peaks
The most common pickup complaint is "they said 15 minutes and I waited 35". The ready time is a promise, and you make it. Break it once and the guest will not order online a second time.
Start by measuring. For two weeks, note how many minutes pass from receiving an order to putting it on the counter, separately for lunch, evening and weekends. Add 5 to 10 minutes of buffer for peaks. If you are alone in the kitchen, this matters.
Do not promise the same time to everyone. It is better when the time depends on how many orders the kitchen holds right now: five waiting orders mean a longer wait than one. If you cannot automate that, state a longer time on your site and by phone in the busiest hours.
At peaks, limit orders instead of delaying all of them. Two safeguards work well: lengthen the promised time and stop taking orders earlier before closing. Menuto has a setting "Stop orders before closing (min)": with 30, the last order is accepted 30 minutes before the end of the ordering hours.
Example for a small venue. Measure your own times and replace these.
Counter and bags: organising the handover
What goes wrong with pickup goes wrong at the counter: a bag nobody finds, or an order handed to the wrong person. The fix is simple and cheap: a number on every bag and on the receipt, and a shelf in order of readiness.
- One bag per order, sealed or tagged with the number.
- Hot dishes on their own shelf, cold items and drinks kept apart.
- Say the number out loud and confirm with the guest: "Number 23, right?"
- One person owns the counter at peaks, not everyone and nobody.
- If guests pay on the spot, put the till at the counter so there is no second queue.
How to tell your guests
Even the best organisation does not help if nobody knows they can order. Show the option where guests already are: at the door, on tables, in Google and on your profiles.
QR code at the doorOn site
An "Order and collect" poster with a QR code at the entrance and in the window. Passers-by can order before they reach the door.
Google profileIn search
Add an order link to your profile. See how to set up the profile.
Own websiteOnline
An "Order" button in plain view and a clear note on when orders are taken. See the restaurant website guide.
At the till and tablesRepeat orders
A small card with a QR code at payment: "Next time, order ahead".
What to offer for pickup
Not every dish travels well. Pasta that sits 20 minutes in a box sticks together. Fries go soft. A salad packed with its dressing goes limp. Before you open the whole menu for pickup orders, run it past one question: how will this look after 15 minutes in a bag?
The good news is that you do not need a new menu. It is enough to mark which dishes suit pickup and temporarily switch off the rest. In Menuto you can mark a dish as sold out and the change shows at once, with no reprinting. More about menus is in the QR menu guide.
A small addition makes a big difference: packaging that keeps heat in, and a note with the number on it. The guest does not search and you do not explain. If you wonder how to suggest extras, read about upselling in the online menu.
Travel well
- Soups and stews in a sturdy box with a lid.
- Pizzas, wraps, sandwiches and burgers in good packaging.
- Roasts and sides that do not depend on crispness.
- Desserts in a separate box.
Be careful
- Fried food that has to stay crisp.
- Pasta with sauce if it waits more than 15 minutes.
- Salads with dressing inside: pack the dressing apart.
- Cold drinks in the same bag as hot dishes.
Five mistakes that cost a lot
Most pickup problems are the same in every venue. They are not about software but about habits. Here are the five we see most often and how to avoid them.
Each of these is fixed with a small change and no new costs. That is why pickup is a good first lesson in online ordering: mistakes are cheap, and the lessons apply straight away to delivery too.
- #01
A promised time without measuring
You say "15 minutes" by feel. For two weeks, record the real time and use that.
- #02
Orders until the last minute
You accept an order 5 minutes before closing and the team stays an hour longer. Set a cutoff before closing.
- #03
Bags without numbers
The guest waits while you search by name. A number on the bag and the receipt solves it.
- #04
No plan for no-shows
What happens if the guest does not come? Decide in advance how long you keep the order.
- #05
Nobody knows the option exists
The menu is there but the door has no QR code. Put one up today.
When to add delivery
Delivery makes sense once pickup runs smoothly and guests ask for it. Do not rush. Add it when pickup orders go out without delays and you have someone who can drive, or a courier you trust.
- Stage 1
Pickup only
Measure times, set up the counter and collect first feedback.
- Stage 2
Hours and peaks
You know when the peaks are and how many orders you handle without delay.
- Stage 3
One small zone
Add delivery to the nearby area, with a minimum order and a fee.
- Stage 4
Larger zones
Expand by the numbers. See delivery zones and minimum order.
Checklist before launch
- Pickup is switched on and you chose how guests pay.
- Ordering hours match what the kitchen can really do.
- A cutoff before closing is set, for example 30 minutes.
- You measured how long an order takes at lunch and evening peaks.
- You have a shelf or counter, numbered bags and one responsible person.
- You tested an order from a phone, start to finish.
- You put a QR code on the door and a link in your Google profile.
Total7 items
Frequently asked questions
What is a pickup order?
The guest picks and orders online, then comes to the venue and collects the finished order. There is no courier and no delivery to an address.
What does it cost to start with online pickup orders?
There is no platform commission when orders come through your own website. Your costs are your own: packaging, team time and card fees if you enable them. See Menuto prices on the pricing page.
How can the guest pay?
In Menuto they can pay cash on pickup or online by card, Apple Pay and Google Pay. You decide which methods are available in the settings.
What ready time should I promise?
Measure the real time at lunch and evening peaks and add 5 to 10 minutes of buffer. It is better for the guest to wait less than promised.
How do I stop orders when I am overloaded?
Use the ordering hours and the setting that stops orders before closing. That way you do not accept more than the kitchen can handle.
Do I need a number screen?
It is not required. Online guests follow their number and status on their phone. The Menuto number screen shows orders from the self-service terminal in the dining room.
When should I add delivery?
When pickup runs without delays and guests ask for delivery. Start with a small zone and expand by the numbers.