The Commission Trap
When restaurant owners look at delivery platforms, the first thing they notice is the fee.
15%.
20%.
25%.
Naturally, the conversation becomes:
“How do I reduce commission costs?”
While commissions certainly impact profitability, they’re only part of the story.
The larger issue is what happens after the order.
Who Owns The Relationship?
Imagine a customer orders from your restaurant through a delivery app.
They enjoy the food.
They have a great experience.
They want to order again.
But who do they remember?
Your restaurant?
Or the app they used?
In most cases, the platform owns the customer relationship.
They control:
- Customer data
- Purchase history
- Marketing communication
- Promotions
- Future ordering behaviour
The restaurant fulfils the order, but the platform retains the customer.
Why This Matters
Every successful restaurant relies on repeat customers.
Acquiring a new customer is expensive.
Retaining an existing customer is far more profitable.
When you don’t own the customer relationship:
- You can’t market directly to them.
- You can’t build loyalty.
- You can’t personalise offers.
- You can’t encourage repeat orders.
- You can’t understand customer behaviour.
In short, you’re constantly renting customers instead of building an audience.
The Power Of Direct Ordering
Now imagine a different scenario.
A customer orders directly through your website or mobile app.
You know:
- Who they are
- What they ordered
- How often they buy
- Their preferences
- Their spending habits
This information becomes an asset.
Over time, that asset grows into a valuable customer database that helps you:
- Increase repeat business
- Launch targeted campaigns
- Promote special offers
- Reward loyalty
- Reduce reliance on third-party platforms
The Most Successful Restaurants Do Both
This isn’t about abandoning delivery apps.
Smart restaurants use them strategically.
Delivery platforms are excellent for discovery.
They introduce new customers to your brand.
But the goal should always be to move customers toward direct channels where you own the relationship.
The winning strategy looks like this:
Delivery Apps → Discovery
Website + Mobile App + Loyalty → Retention
This approach gives restaurants the best of both worlds:
- Customer acquisition
- Customer ownership
Building A Restaurant You Control
The restaurants that thrive over the next decade won’t simply have the best food.
They’ll have the strongest customer relationships.
They’ll know who their customers are.
They’ll communicate directly.
They’ll build loyalty.
And they’ll create systems that generate repeat business without relying entirely on third-party platforms.
How DASA Helps
DASA gives restaurants the tools to build and own their customer relationships.
Through connected ordering, loyalty, CRM, reservations, marketing, and mobile apps, restaurants can create a complete customer journey within a single ecosystem.
Because the most valuable asset in your restaurant isn’t the order.
It’s the customer behind it.
Ready to build more direct orders?
Book a demo and discover how DASA can help you own the relationship, not just the order.