Takeaway ordering system for UK takeaways

A takeaway ordering system lets customers order collection or delivery from your own website, so you keep 100% of every order. Menuthere is a commission-free takeaway ordering system built for UK pizza shops, kebab shops, curry houses, Chinese takeaways and chippies. Orders ring on your phone and print in the kitchen. Card payments go straight to your own Stripe account. Start free for 50 orders a month, with no contract.

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What a takeaway ordering system does

A takeaway ordering system replaces the notepad by the phone and the app tablet on the counter. It has three jobs.

1. Take the order. Customers open your link, pick items, choose sauces and sizes, and select collection or delivery.
2. Take the money. By card online, or cash on collection.
3. Get it to the kitchen. The order rings on a phone or tablet, then prints a ticket for the cook.

Some people call it takeaway ordering software or simply a takeaway system. Whatever the name, the point is the same: orders come to you, not through Just Eat, Deliveroo or Uber Eats.

Why UK takeaways move to their own system

The apps take a big cut

Just Eat's UK sign-up page listed 14% when you use your own drivers and 30% when it delivers (July 2026 copy; check your own agreement). Uber Eats charges 13% for own delivery or collection and 30% when it delivers. VAT at 20% is added on top. See the Just Eat commission breakdown.

Phone orders go wrong

Busy Friday lines mean missed calls, misheard addresses and "I said no onions". An online order is written down by the customer.

You never own the customer

On an app, the customer belongs to the platform. On your own online takeaway ordering system, you see who orders, how often and what they like. You can invite them back.

The cost: a worked UK example

A busy takeaway does 400 orders a month at £22. That is £8,800 in sales. Today it all goes through Just Eat with its own drivers.

Menuthere plans are billed in US dollars; your bank converts it. If Just Eat delivers for you at 30%, the saving roughly doubles. If you are VAT-registered you can usually reclaim the VAT on commission, but the commission is still gone.

Takeaway ordering software features that matter

Use this checklist when you compare takeaway ordering systems.

Takeaway delivery software: own drivers or collection only?

You have three options.

1. Collection only. The simplest start. No driver costs. Offer a small collection discount with a coupon.
2. Your own drivers. Set delivery zones and fees in Menuthere. On Pro, drivers use the riders app and customers get a live tracking link.
3. Keep the apps for delivery, go direct for collection. A common middle path. The app does the long-distance delivery, and your regulars collect direct.

Menuthere doesn't supply couriers in the UK. If you have no drivers, start with collection.

Online ordering for pizza shops

Pizza is the one takeaway type with real search demand for its own ordering system. It also has the most complex menus.

• Sizes and bases. Set 10", 12" and 14" as sizes, with stuffed crust or gluten-free bases as options.
• Toppings. Add extra toppings as paid add-ons.
• Half-and-half. There's no dedicated half-and-half builder. Add a "Second half" option group so customers pick a topping set for each half (as the pizza ordering page explains).
• Meal deals. Use coupons on Lite, or buy-X-get-Y offers on Pro, for "two large pizzas for £25".
• Delivery radius. Pizza travels well, so set wider zones with a higher fee for the outer ring (zone pricing on Lite and above).
• Allergens. Gluten and milk are in almost every item. Tag them on each pizza, and customers see them when they open it.

More detail: online ordering for pizza shops.

Online ordering for kebab shops

Kebab shops live on late nights and fast collection.

• Options matter. Meat choice, salad, sauces (garlic, chilli, mint) and bread type are all option groups.
• Late opening. Set opening hours past midnight, such as 6pm to 2am, so customers can only order while you are open.
• Collection time. Show a short collection time to win the "on the way home" order.
• VAT. A hot kebab with cold salad is one hot item, so it is standard-rated at 20% as a whole (HMRC Notice 709/1, section 4.6).
• Allergens. Sesame (tahini, bread), milk (yoghurt sauces), gluten and mustard are common.

Online ordering for curry houses and Indian takeaways

Curry orders are big, family-sized and often booked ahead.

• Spice levels. Add "mild, medium, hot, madras, vindaloo" as a free option on each curry.
• Rice and naan. Offer them as add-ons on mains, so customers do not forget them.
• Set meals. Build "meal for two" or "family feast" items with choices inside.
• Pre-orders. Let regulars order Saturday's curry on Saturday afternoon (Lite and above).
• Collection discount. Many curry houses already give 10% off collection. Run it as a coupon.
• Allergens. Nuts (kormas, pasandas), milk (cream, ghee, paneer), mustard and celery are common in curry bases. Be careful with nut cross-contact.

Online ordering for Chinese takeaways

Chinese takeaways have long, numbered menus and loyal regulars.

• Import the printed menu. Take a photo of your printed menu and Menuthere's import reads it into items and prices. Check each line afterwards.
• Keep the numbers. Put "No. 45" in the item name so regulars can find their usual.
• Set dinners. "Set meal for 2/3/4 people" works well as a single item with choices.
• Free items over a spend. "Free prawn crackers over £20" is a classic. On Pro, a free-item reward adds itself at checkout when the bill reaches the amount you set.
• Allergens. Soya, gluten, sesame, crustaceans, molluscs (oyster sauce) and egg are common. Tag every allergen on each dish.

Online ordering for chippies

Fish and chip shops face the sharpest Friday rush of any UK takeaway.

• Scheduled collection. Let customers order at 4pm for 6:30pm, so the queue is spread out (Lite and above).
• Pause when slammed. Press Closed in the dashboard and choose how long. The store reopens by itself. Or mark slow items sold out for half an hour.
• Sizes. Small, regular and large fish and chips as sizes. Mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy as add-ons.
• VAT. Hot fish and chips are standard-rated. Cold soft drinks are also standard-rated, but some cold food, like a cold sandwich, is zero-rated. Get your VAT set-up right before you go live. See VAT on takeaway food.
• Allergens. Fish, gluten in batter, and shared fryer oil. Say clearly if you fry everything in the same oil.

Phone and WhatsApp orders

Plenty of UK customers still phone. Menuthere helps in two ways.

• Take phone orders into the same system. Staff add phone orders on the Menuthere dashboard, so they go to the same order list and kitchen ticket. A full counter till is available as a paid add-on.
• Move regulars to WhatsApp (Pro). A customer sends "Hi" to your own WhatsApp number. They get an Order Now button that opens your menu with no login. Updates go out automatically: order placed, accepted, ready and out for delivery. Meta charges per message, separately from Menuthere.

How to choose the best takeaway ordering system

Ask every provider these six questions.

1. Do you take any commission or percentage of sales?
2. How long is the contract, and what does it cost to leave?
3. Whose card account does the money go into, and how fast?
4. What does the card fee cost per order?
5. Can I show allergens on every item?
6. Is there a setup fee or hardware I have to buy or rent?

For a side-by-side list, read the best online ordering systems in the UK. Comparing Flipdish? See Flipdish alternatives.

Set up your online takeaway ordering system

1. Sign up and find your takeaway on Google.
2. Import your menu from a photo or PDF.
3. Add sizes and extras, and tag the allergens (and calories) on each item. Check prices include VAT.
4. Set collection times, delivery zones and fees, plus a minimum order and a free-delivery threshold if you want them.
5. Connect Stripe for card payments (Lite), or start with cash on collection (Free).
6. Test an order and check the kitchen ticket prints.
7. Spread the link. Google Business Profile, Facebook, Instagram, window sticker, and a flyer in every app bag.

Want a full website with your own domain, photos and opening hours? See our takeaway website builder. Already run a till? Read EPOS for takeaways.

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