How it works.

What we do is set up a new channel for your customers to order, pay, and pickup their own orders. This is not a delivery service. Another great way to use this platform is as an electronic menu for in-house orders. The high-quality pictures, descriptions, and search capabilities make this a simple, effective new sales channel for your business.

FAQ

What is the underlying platform? Your domain will be built as a Shopify store. Shopify is an industry leader in e-commerce solutions, and with a little customization, works well for restaurants.
Is the curbside store set up on my website? No. Shopify requires the store to sit on a distinct domain. Typically, it is [your shop].myshopify.com ... but we can get you a friendlier domain (which you will own) that points to the myshopify domain, if you like. Most restaurants simply place an "Order Online" button on their original website linking to the myshopify domain.
How do I receive orders? You have lots of choices here including via email and text message. Many restaurants use an old tablet or mobile phone, log into their store, and receive the notifications there. Usually, it is a dedicated staff member like a host who receives, enters the order into your POS, and marks the order fulfilled when ready, which lets the customer know to pick up. You can set up many staff members to get notified, such as Managers and Chefs.
How do I receive payment? Order payments go directly from Shopify to the bank account you specify, similar to your current merchant system. You decide how often you want those payments to reconcile. We DO NOT touch your payments or take any part of them. Our charges are calculated monthly and you pay them separately via credit card.
Can I use my own merchant account? Yes. We suggest you consider using Shopify's because the rate is competitive (2.6% - 2.9% plus $0.30). If you use your own, Shopify charges a 1% fee for their interface to your merchant.
What if the customer has coupons or wants to pay in-store? We add the option to pay in-store to all restaurants unless you tell us not to. This gives you more flexibility to handle coupons and promotions.
How quickly can I have menu items added, changed, and removed? It depends. Simple changes like descriptions, photos, and prices can easily be done in minutes. You can even appoint an admin on your end to make the changes. Substantial changes usually take a few hours, and there is no extra charge.
Can I have a different design, look and feel? Yes. There are numerous Shopify themes to choose from. Some are free, others cost up to $199. Whatever you choose, you'll want to keep it simple and make sure it works well with mobile devices.
What about pictures? We highly recommend you take high-quality photos of your food. The more the better. Customers love seeing the pics. If you don't have any, we can use stock photos until you take them.
Can I have the orders go directly into my POS? Not at this point, and we don't think you'd really want that. We have found it is best to have a staff member process the orders to control the flow. Also, your staff can easily contact the customer if there are any questions before the kitchen begins processing the order.
Can I refund all or part of an order? Yes. This is very simple to do in the admin platform.
What's the value of keeping all that customer information? Imagine the power of emailing and texting your customers reminders and promotions based on their previous orders. You can't do that with delivery platforms.
What about sales tax? The Shopify platform handles collecting the taxes. There is a report which helps you calculate what to pay the state.
Are there reports? Lots. There are financial and website usage reports that are invaluable and FREE.
How would I use this platform for my in-house menu? Simple. We can generate a QR code that customers scan at their table -- very COVID friendly. The server can either take the order or instruct the customer to place the order online and note their table number in the comments.