Online ordering platforms make it easier for b2b eCommerce businesses, restaurant businesses, cafes, catering businesses, bakery businesses, and other hospitality businesses, to take orders online or in person. When integrated with a POS system, it streamlines payment and invoice processing.
Wholesale distributorships and dropshipping suppliers can turn their websites and online eCommerce marketplaces into a customer acquisition channel with an online ordering system. You can turn your website into a lead magnet when you integrate it with an online ordering platform.
Key Takeaway: With more and more customers buying products online, setting up an online ordering platform will improve the omnichannel customer experience. Customers will be able to access your digital catalog or food menu through their mobile devices or by scanning a restaurant QR code.
Online ordering platforms can drastically speed up the ordering process. In this article, we’ll review the best online ordering platforms for restaurants and wholesale businesses. Let’s get started!
10 Best Online Ordering Platforms
Here are the 10 best online ordering platforms.
BlueCart is an all-in-one eCommerce platform for wholesalers, B2B businesses, hospitality businesses, and businesses in the food and beverage industry. The platform is designed to streamline your online ordering processes and operations.
The BlueCart mobile ordering platform handles everything, including keeping track of your product catalogs and sales. Other benefits include managing and filling outbound orders, answering customer inquiries through an integrated messaging platform, and sending out product announcements and marketing materials to your consumers.
Best For: Wholesale food distributors, restaurant businesses, and hospitality businesses. Offers B2B eCommerce businesses an easy-to-use self-service online ordering solution.
Features:
- Reasonable prices
- Website and app for businesses
- 24/7 customer support
- Order management
- Multiple payment gateway integrations
- Inventory control
- Route optimization and monitoring
- eCommerce marketplace
- Square POS
Square POS for Restaurants is one of several cloud-based Square apps, along with Square POS for Retail and Square Point of Sale. it features a virtual terminal for taking payments over the phone, and an online store builder.
These features are ideal for small businesses that are just starting out or completely rebranding before offering takeout services.
Best for: Affordability. Restaurants and other businesses in the food industry can use Square POS.
Features:
- Kitchen display system
- Third-party integrations
- 24/7 customer service
- Multiple payment options including Apple pay and Google pay
- Menufy
Menufy is a business listing and browser-based online ordering website design service. In order to offer on-demand delivery services from third-parties, Menufy integrates directly with Uber and DoorDash.
Like Toast, Tock, and DoorDash, Menufy operates a listing website and a connected mobile application to assist in bringing in new consumers to your restaurant. Users of Menufy can purchase a wireless receipt printer and a Menufy tablet to take online purchases.
Best for: Excellent fit for small restaurants that need marketing assistance.
Features:
- Low processing rates
- 360 eCommerce marketing solutions
- Online restaurant listing platform
- Pay-as-you-go delivery
- Multilingual support
- 247Waiter
You can create your own online ordering platform with 247Waiter. The system is easy to set up and use. To support your business, the platform provides you with a website and online ordering platform.
Some benefits of using this platform include the branded website, access to priceless customer data, geofencing, and multiple third-party payment integrations. 247Waiter offers businesses the basic features of an online ordering platform.
Best for: Small businesses and restaurants.
Features:
- Simple setup
- Branded website
- Online ordering platform
- Toast
A dependable restaurant online ordering system is provided by Toast online ordering. You can set up the online presence of your restaurant. Toast is a complete restaurant POS software with integrated internet ordering features.
By connecting you directly to clients at any stage of the cycle, the Toast online restaurant management software system minimizes errors. With the system, you can send out notifications, regulate how many orders you want to handle at once, and manage the menu at any time.
Best for: POS integrated online ordering system. Restaurant businesses looking for a streamlined, single platform approach can use Toast.
Features:
- In-house and third-party delivery driver management
- Customer arrival notifications
- Custom branding
- Multiple device support
- Epos Now
The takeaway ordering system from Epos Now comes with free staff training and easy onboarding e-modules. Real-time reporting on employees, clients, and inventory is only one of the platform's many outstanding features.
Epos Now online ordering system can be used alone or in conjunction with hundreds of other programs, such as payment processing software and eCommerce accounting software.
Best for: eCommerce reporting and insights.
Features:
- Inventory management software
- In-depth reporting
- Digital catalog and menu
- Online ordering system
- Flex Catering
From online ordering to production management, Flex is an all-in-one software that helps businesses handle all of their off-premises and catering needs. Flex can help you save time and money so your catering business can expand more quickly. Its business process flow was designed with both B2C and B2B sales processes in mind.
Orders, events, production, delivery, and everything else in between are all managed by Flex, giving you complete control over the catering portion of your business. For all forms of catering, Flex Catering is the ideal solution.
Best for: For different types of catering and event management businesses.
Features:
- Online ordering
- Orders and invoices
- Create and send proposals with e-sign capability
- Account management
- Menu management
- Delivery management
- iMenu360
iMenu360 is an intuitive and practical restaurant management platform solution. It has every functionality required for an online ordering system for restaurants. Mobile ordering, delivery zone geofencing, loyalty programs, a coupon engine, a restaurant manager app, and other features are among the features.
Best for: Restaurants businesses, cafes, and hotels.
Features:
- Geofencing
- Coupon engine
- Mobile ordering system
- Restolab
Restolabs is a reliable, cost-effective internet ordering platform for restaurants. Unlike Toast, DoorDash, and Square Online, Restolabs offers multiple payment gateways.
The platform makes it easy to route deliveries to on-demand, third-party drivers by integrating with DoorDash, Uber, and Postmates. With a strong focus on increasing sales and improving the omnichannel customer experience and customer relationships, Restolabs features a robust mobile ordering platform and menu customization options.
Best for: Payment flexibility.
Features:
- Menu customization
- Facebook ordering
- Mobile ordering platform
- Delivery options
- Multiple payment gateways
- Flipdish
With Flipdish, you have access to everything you need to accept orders directly from your own websites and mobile applications. The online ordering platform enables you to provide digital ordering from kiosks or phones, and expand your business through marketing and customer loyalty programs.
You can access the platform through your own Flipdish portal and take advantage of the detailed reporting and real-time sales metrics. Flipdish is a very thorough digital ordering solution that includes a number of sales channels, such as websites, smartphone apps, in-store kiosks, Google, and order and pay apps.
Best for: Small businesses looking for affordability and simplicity.
Features:
- Third-party restaurant POS systems integrations
- Branded online store
- Customer retention and loyalty campaign setup
Frequently Asked Questions About Online Ordering Platform
Let’s answer a few questions about online ordering platform for businesses.
What do Restaurants use for Online Ordering?
There are several software and platforms that restaurants can use for online ordering. These platforms include:
- BlueCart
- Revolution Ordering
- Toast POS
- Flex Catering
- Flipdish
- iMenu360
- Menufy
What is Web-based Ordering?
Web-based ordering allows customers to browse, select, order, and pay for products via your website without having to download a mobile application. The platform enables easy access to your digital menu.
What is Restaurant Ordering System?
A restaurant ordering system is a platform that allows restaurants to receive online orders from customers. It can also streamline payment processes when integrated with a POS system.
Choosing the Best Platform
With several platforms to choose from it can be difficult to select the right online ordering platform for your business. When selectiing an online ordering system, look for the one that fits your business needs, customer demands, and budget.
You should consider using an all-in-one eCommerce platform that caters for all your restaurant management needs. Platforms like BlueCart and Revolution Ordering offers demos and walkthroughs to help you make the best decision.