Commission-Free Delivery

Restaurants that rely on third party delivery apps hand over a share of every order and lose sight of who their customers are. Commission-Free Delivery and Pickup is a direct ordering service from Say2eat, which also trades under the Sauce name, and it is designed to give restaurants their own ordering channels instead.

A layer next to what a restaurant already does

Say2eat describes itself as a white label service that sits on top of a restaurant's existing online ordering efforts. Its aim is to let fans of a restaurant order as easily as they would message a friend, in whichever channel is convenient for them. The company claims conversion rates three to ten times higher and says it doubled direct online sales for an existing restaurant client, which are its own results.

Ordering channels

A set of direct channels is offered. Guests can order on Facebook Messenger, with automated retargeting for repeat business. A restaurant gets its own ecommerce website that is optimized for restaurants and aims for larger average checks. Posts and stories on social media can become shopping experiences. Catering orders can be grown and managed at low cost while delivery capacity expands, and a virtual phone agent helps customers place online orders while staff concentrate on running the kitchen.

Delivery without commissions

The service pairs ordering with courier delivery that the provider says is faster, with premium support, and without the commission charged by marketplace platforms. The company describes couriers that can deliver farther than typical third party platforms and says restaurants have cut courier fees as a result. Customers pay less for their food, the argument goes, when the restaurant does not pass on marketplace fees.

Getting found and bringing guests back

Beyond ordering, the company offers help with search so new customers can discover a restaurant online. It works on Google My Business and Google Maps listings so that orders go straight to the restaurant before a third party takes them, and on Yelp listings that can lead to direct orders. Tools for collecting feedback and driving repeat business are also described, with the goal of owning the whole guest experience and reconnecting with customers.

Restaurants it works with

The provider's site shows independent restaurants in several American cities, among them a vegan restaurant in Philadelphia, a Thai restaurant in New York and venues in Miami and Chicago, describing outcomes such as reduced delivery costs and more repeat business. These are the restaurants' own reports.

Commission-Free Delivery is a direct ordering service for restaurants, linked to the Say2eat and Sauce brands. It adds a layer alongside a restaurant's existing online ordering so guests can order on the restaurant's own web and social channels.

Main features

• Direct ordering: web and social media ordering for delivery and pickup.
• White label service: runs under the restaurant's own branding.
• Messaging-style ordering: lets guests order as easily as sending a message.
• Delivery support: courier delivery with support from the provider.
• Guest experience tools: aims to bring customers back and keep the guest relationship with the restaurant.

Clients

It is aimed at independent restaurants wanting to reduce reliance on third-party delivery platforms. One quoted client is a vegan restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Key facts

• Providers named: Say2eat and Sauce.