First-party data: the customer information a restaurant owns
Updated October 20, 2026
First-party data is customer information a restaurant collects itself, through its own channels: names, phone numbers, email addresses, what each person orders and how often, and whether they agreed to hear from you. It's the opposite of data the restaurant doesn't own, such as the customer list a delivery app keeps about orders it brought in.
In short
- First-party: collected by you, from your customers. Third-party: collected by someone else and sold or shared.
- Your own ordering page gives you first-party data; marketplaces mostly don't. The app keeps the customer.
- Consent matters as much as the data. A phone number isn't permission to send offers.
- On Menuthere every customer who orders or messages you is in your customer list (Lite), which you can export.
First-, second- and third-party data
| Type | Who collected it | Restaurant example |
|---|---|---|
| First-party | You, from your own customers | Your online orders: names, phones, order history |
| Second-party | Another company, shared with you under an agreement | Limited order details a delivery app passes on |
| Third-party | Data brokers, from many sources | Bought audience lists for ads |
What each channel gives you
| Channel | Customer name and phone | Full order history | Can you contact them later? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery marketplace | Limited; the app keeps the relationship | Inside the app | Through the app's tools only |
| Phone orders | If you write it down | Only if you record it | If they agreed |
| Your own ordering page | Yes, from sign-in and checkout | Yes, every order | If they agreed |
| Table QR ordering | Yes, when they sign in to order | Yes | If they agreed |
See third-party delivery for how marketplaces work.
A restaurant example
A café takes 400 online orders a month from 260 customers. After three months its customer list shows who orders weekly, who has stopped, who always orders the same breakfast and who only orders with a discount. With that, it can send a lapsed regular a win-back message, stop discounting to people who'd pay full price, and plan stock for its weekly regulars. None of this is possible with orders that came through an app that keeps the customer. (Illustrative.)
The rules: consent and privacy
- Ask before marketing. Contact details collected to deliver an order are not automatically permission to send offers. On WhatsApp, Meta's policy requires an opt-in; see WhatsApp opt-in.
- Email in the US: CAN-SPAM. The FTC's rules for commercial email include accurate header information, a subject line that matches the content, identifying the message as an ad, a valid physical postal address, a clear way to opt out, and honoring opt-outs within 10 business days. Each violating email can cost up to $53,088.
- Keep it safe and use it only as promised. Follow the privacy law where you and your customers are, and say in your privacy policy what you collect.
How Menuthere handles first-party data
- A customer list you own (Lite). Customers lists everyone who ordered from you or messaged you on WhatsApp, with orders placed, amount spent, average order and last order. Filter by order type, channel (WhatsApp, App, Web, in-store) and whether they use discounts.
- Each customer's history. Lifetime spend, orders a month, every order, their six most-ordered dishes, usual order type and time.
- Segments (Pro). Eight automatic segments such as VIPs, Regulars, At risk and Lapsed. See RFM segmentation.
- Export. Download the customers on screen, or one segment, as an Excel file with phone, name, segment, total orders, total spent and last activity. Menuthere's own help reminds you to use exports in line with your local privacy rules and what customers agreed to.
- Your own tracking (Lite). Add your Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, TikTok Pixel or Snapchat Pixel ID, and your store sends page views, add-to-cart, checkout and purchase events to your own accounts. See SEO and tracking.
- Your own systems. Order webhooks send each new order, with customer name, phone and address, to your own HTTPS endpoint. See the restaurant CRM page.
What it doesn't do: Menuthere identifies customers by phone number, not email, so the export has no email addresses, and Menuthere doesn't send email or SMS campaigns.
Own your customer list from the first order. 0% commission.
Related terms
- RFM segmentation: grouping customers by recency, frequency and spend.
- Customer lifetime value: what a customer is worth over time.
- Win-back campaign: using the list to bring people back.
FAQs
What is first-party data for a restaurant?
It is customer information the restaurant collects itself through its own channels, such as names, phone numbers, order history and marketing consent. Orders on your own website, app or table QR codes create first-party data; orders on a delivery marketplace mostly don't.
What is the difference between first-party and third-party data?
First-party data is collected by you directly from your own customers. Third-party data is collected by another company, often from many sources, and sold or shared. First-party data is usually more accurate and you control how it is used.
Do delivery apps share customer data with restaurants?
Usually only in a limited way. On a marketplace the app keeps the customer relationship and the full history, so the restaurant can't easily contact those customers directly. Orders on your own ordering page give you the customer's details.
Can I email my online ordering customers?
Only with permission, and in the US commercial email must follow the CAN-SPAM Act, including a clear opt-out that you honor within 10 business days. Menuthere doesn't collect email addresses or send email, so you would need your own email tool and list.
Can I export my customer list from Menuthere?
Yes, from the Lite plan. Press Export on the customer list to download an Excel file of the customers on screen, or of one segment on Pro, with phone, name, segment, orders, spend and last activity.
Sources (7)
- Menuthere help: Your customer list, updated 6 Oct 2026 (everyone who ordered or messaged on WhatsApp; Orders, Spent, Avg order, Last order; filters: order type, channel, used a discount; Lite): https://menuthere.com/docs/customers/your-customer-list (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: A customer's history, updated 6 Oct 2026 (lifetime spend, orders a month, six most-ordered dishes, usual order type and time): https://menuthere.com/docs/customers/a-customers-history (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: Export customers, updated 6 Oct 2026 (.xlsx; columns Phone, Name, Segment, Total Orders, Total Spent, Last Activity; "Always use exports in line with your local privacy rules and with what your customers agreed to"; Lite; segment export on Pro): https://menuthere.com/docs/customers/export-customers (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: SEO and tracking, updated 16 Oct 2026 (Google Analytics, Meta, TikTok, Snapchat pixel IDs; page_view, view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, purchase; Lite): https://menuthere.com/docs/online-store/seo-and-tracking (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: Webhooks for new orders, updated 6 Oct 2026 (order.created with customer name, phone, address): https://menuthere.com/docs/integrations/webhooks-for-new-orders (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- US FTC, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business (header information, subject lines, identify as an ad, physical postal address, opt-out, honor within 10 business days, monitor vendors; penalties up to $53,088 per email): https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, last updated 23 Sep 2026 (opt-in required): https://whatsappbusiness.com/policy/ (accessed 20 Oct 2026)