How to Replace Foodhub With Direct Online Ordering

Can You Replace Foodhub With Your Own Ordering Channel?

Yes. Replacing Foodhub with direct ordering is practical, achievable and financially worthwhile for most restaurants. You need the right platform to host your ordering, a plan to move customers across, and a short transition period where both channels run in parallel.

This article covers what Foodhub actually costs, what you gain from direct ordering and how to make the switch.

What Foodhub Actually Costs Restaurants

Foodhub markets itself on a zero-commission model for consumers, which differentiates it from Just Eat or Uber Eats. Restaurants pay a monthly subscription rather than per-order commission, with the idea being that costs are predictable.

In practice, the monthly subscription varies. UK restaurants typically pay from around £60 to several hundred pounds per month depending on location, tier and contract terms. Foodhub also takes a percentage of payments processed through its gateway.

But the financial cost is only part of the picture. There are structural costs that do not appear on any invoice:

Customer ownership. On Foodhub, the customer relationship belongs to Foodhub, not to you. They hold the customer data. If you want to run a promotion, you do it through Foodhub's tools, on Foodhub's terms.

Brand positioning. Your restaurant sits alongside competitors in a marketplace. You are one entry in a list, ranked by an algorithm you cannot control.

Data access. Order history and customer contact details are held by the platform. You have limited ability to export and use that data independently.

Platform dependency. If Foodhub changes its fees, algorithm or terms, you have no owned channel to fall back on.

Restaurants that rely entirely on any single marketplace are building their revenue on foundations they do not control.

What Direct Ordering Gives You

Replacing Foodhub with your own ordering channel — a branded website and mobile app — changes the economics and the relationship with your customers.

Customer ownership. Every order through your direct channel builds your customer list. You see who ordered, what they bought, when they last visited and what they typically spend. That data belongs to your restaurant.

Marketing capability. You can email your customers, run re-engagement campaigns for lapsed visitors, offer first-time discounts and build loyalty programmes. None of this is possible on Foodhub.

Fixed, predictable costs. A direct ordering platform charges a monthly fee. There is no percentage cut on each transaction that scales with your revenue.

Your brand, not a marketplace. Customers interact with your branding. They download your app. They visit your website. They associate a good experience with your restaurant, not with a food delivery platform.

Better menu control. Changes appear immediately, without waiting for platform approval.

The Economics: Is It Worth It?

Consider a takeaway doing 150 orders per week at an average of £22:

Monthly order count: approximately 650
Monthly revenue: approximately £14,300
Foodhub monthly cost: £100–£300 (subscription plus payment fees)

A direct ordering platform typically costs £50–£150 per month at comparable scale, with transaction fees that vary by provider.

The fee comparison alone may look modest. The bigger financial argument is on the revenue side: restaurants with direct ordering channels, customer data and marketing tools consistently grow repeat order rates. Customers who order through your own app return more frequently than marketplace customers, and you can actively encourage that with targeted promotions.

How to Build a Direct Ordering Channel

Replacing Foodhub requires three core components:

1. An online ordering platform

This is the software powering your website ordering and mobile app. It needs to handle menus, payments, customer accounts and order routing to your kitchen.

Flipdish is the recommended platform for UK and Irish restaurants. Flipdish connects your direct ordering to your restaurant POS system so that online orders appear in the kitchen on the same screen as in-store orders. There is no separate tablet, no manual re-entry, no missed orders.

2. A branded mobile app

Customers with your app on their phone order more frequently than those who have to visit a website each time. Flipdish deploys branded mobile apps on iOS and Android under your restaurant's name. Customers see your brand in the App Store and Google Play, not Flipdish.

3. A migration strategy

Your existing Foodhub customers need to know your direct channel exists. The platform alone is not enough.

Moving Your Customers Across

Getting customers to switch from Foodhub to your direct channel takes consistent, low-effort promotion over two to three months. Tactics that work:

Print your ordering website address and app name on every receipt and takeaway bag
Add a QR code to your packaging linking directly to your ordering page
Update your Google Business Profile to feature your direct ordering link prominently
Add a note to your Foodhub profile: "Order direct at [your website] and get 10% off your first order"
Run an introductory offer on your direct channel — a discount, a free item, a loyalty stamp — for first-time direct orders
Brief staff to mention the app when customers call to place phone orders
Post about your app and website on social media

Most restaurants see their direct order volume grow steadily over the first three months of promotion. Customers who order from you regularly are the easiest to convert — they already know your food.

What to Do With Foodhub During the Transition

You do not need to cancel Foodhub immediately. Running both channels in parallel during the transition is the sensible approach.

As your direct order volume grows, track what proportion is coming through your own channel versus Foodhub. When the numbers make the Foodhub subscription difficult to justify, that is the point to make a decision.

A useful principle: customers who have ordered from you more than twice through Foodhub already know your restaurant. They are your customers in everything but the data. The goal is to move them to a channel where the relationship belongs to you.

Flipdish: The Recommended Platform for UK and Irish Restaurants

Flipdish is well-suited to UK and Irish restaurants replacing Foodhub for several practical reasons:

POS integration. Orders from your Flipdish website and app arrive directly on your kitchen display or POS screen. No separate tablet, no extra steps.

Your branded app. Customers download your restaurant's own app — your name in the App Store and Google Play, your branding throughout. Not Flipdish's.

Customer data and marketing. Flipdish's AI marketing tools use your customer order data to run automated re-engagement campaigns. Customers who have not ordered recently can be identified and sent relevant offers without manual effort.

Loyalty. A loyalty programme built into the app gives customers a specific reason to order directly rather than return to Foodhub.

AI phone ordering. If your restaurant still receives a significant number of phone orders, Flipdish's AI Phone Agent takes those calls automatically — freeing staff and ensuring no calls go unanswered.

Kiosks. If you want to add self-service kiosks in-venue, Flipdish runs them on the same platform as your online ordering and POS.

Multi-site management. If you open additional locations, Flipdish manages them all from one dashboard.

Practical Steps to Replace Foodhub

Choose a direct ordering platform. Flipdish is the recommended choice for UK and Irish restaurants.
Set up your menu and configuration. Flipdish provides onboarding support for this.
Deploy your branded app. App Store and Google Play submission typically takes one to two weeks.
Launch your promotion campaign. Start telling customers about your direct channel on receipts, bags, social media and your Foodhub profile.
Monitor the channel split. Track the proportion of direct versus Foodhub orders each week.
Reassess the Foodhub subscription. Once direct ordering is established, decide whether the Foodhub fee remains worthwhile.

Talk to Flipdish about online ordering options for your restaurant.

Common Questions

Can I keep my Foodhub profile while also running direct ordering?

Yes. There is no requirement to close your Foodhub account. Running both simultaneously during the transition is sensible.

How long does it take to migrate customers?

Most restaurants see meaningful direct order growth within six to eight weeks of actively promoting their own channel. Full transition typically takes three to six months.

Will my kitchen need new hardware?

Flipdish works with most existing printers and POS hardware, or you can adopt the Flipdish POS if you want a fully integrated setup. An implementation team will advise on your specific situation.

What happens to my existing Foodhub reviews?

Reviews on Foodhub remain on Foodhub. Encourage your direct-channel customers to leave reviews on Google instead, where they will help broader visibility.