For most restaurants, delivery platforms are no longer optional. Customers open Zomato or Swiggy before they think about calling you. But getting listed is only step one — how your menu, photos and ratings look decides whether you get orders. And at some point, the commissions add up enough that your own ordering channel makes sense.
Step 1: Get the Paperwork Ready
Every platform will ask for most of these. Having them ready turns a weeks-long process into days:
- FSSAI licence (or your local food-safety registration)
- GST registration and PAN
- Bank account details and a cancelled cheque
- Your full menu with prices
- Restaurant and food photographs
- Opening hours and delivery radius
Step 2: Choose Your Platforms
Zomato and Swiggy
The biggest reach in most Indian cities, with strong discovery features and their own delivery fleets. Commissions typically range from 18–30% depending on your agreement and whether you use their delivery partners.
ONDC
The Open Network for Digital Commerce lets customers order from you through many buyer apps (Paytm, Magicpin and others) with generally lower commissions. It's a growing channel and worth being on early.
Others
Depending on your market, EatSure, Magicpin or international platforms like Uber Eats and Deliveroo may also make sense.
Step 3: Build a Menu That Sells
- Lead with photos. Listings with real, well-lit photos of every popular dish consistently outperform text-only menus.
- Write short, appetising descriptions. Mention key ingredients, spice level and portion size.
- Keep it focused. A 150-item menu is hard to browse on a phone. Group into clear categories with your best-sellers at the top.
- Price for the platform. Many restaurants price delivery menus slightly higher to absorb commission — check each platform's rules.
Step 4: Protect Your Ratings
Ratings drive ranking. Pack food well, keep prep times honest, respond to reviews (especially negative ones), and mark items unavailable rather than cancelling orders.
When Should You Build Your Own Ordering App?
Platforms are great for discovery but expensive for loyal customers. Your own online ordering website or app starts to pay off when:
- You're paying more than roughly ₹1–1.5 lakh (or £1,000+) a month in commissions.
- A large share of orders come from repeat customers who'd happily order direct.
- You want loyalty points, table reservations or your own offers.
- You run multiple outlets and need one system for menus and orders.
A branded app with ordering, payments and push notifications — built in React Native for iOS and Android — typically pays for itself within months at that volume. See our restaurant app development packages, or read the broader guide on whether your business needs a mobile app.
Let Us Handle the Setup
Our delivery platform onboarding covers documentation, menu setup, photography guidance and listing optimisation across Zomato, Swiggy and ONDC — from £199 for a single platform. Get in touch and we'll tell you which platforms fit your restaurant.