Direct-Channel Principle

In practice

The direct channel principle describes a strategic priority in restaurant sales: routing as much order volume as possible through channels a restaurant owns and controls — its own website, its own app, telephone, or in-person ordering — rather than through third-party marketplaces and delivery aggregators that intermediate the transaction. Under this principle, marketplace listings are treated as an acquisition channel for new guests, not as the primary sales channel, and the goal is to convert marketplace-sourced guests into repeat direct-channel customers over time.

Why it matters

Third-party marketplaces typically charge commission on every order, often between 15% and 30% of the order value, in exchange for discovery, payment processing, and sometimes delivery logistics. Direct channels carry only payment-processing costs, typically in the low single digits. The gap between these two cost structures compounds across order volume, so a restaurant's channel mix has a direct and measurable effect on net margin, independent of menu pricing or food cost.

Example

A restaurant generates €200,000 in annual online order revenue, split evenly between a delivery marketplace charging 25% commission and its own direct-order website charging 2.5% payment processing. Marketplace channel: €100,000 − (€100,000 × 25%) = €100,000 − €25,000 = €75,000 net. Direct channel: €100,000 − (€100,000 × 2.5%) = €100,000 − €2,500 = €97,500 net. Combined net revenue is €75,000 + €97,500 = €172,500. Had the full €200,000 run through the marketplace at 25% commission, net revenue would have been €150,000. The 50/50 split therefore preserves €22,500 that a fully marketplace-routed order flow would have paid away in commission.

How to apply it

• Make the direct ordering channel at least as fast and convenient as the marketplace listing, since guests default to whichever path is easiest.
• Use marketplace order confirmations, packaging, or loyalty prompts to invite repeat orders through the direct channel.
• Track order source at the point of sale so channel mix, not just total revenue, is visible to management.
• Treat marketplace presence as a discovery tool for guests unfamiliar with the restaurant, not as the default checkout path for existing guests.

What shapes it

• The commission rate charged by marketplaces in a given market and cuisine category.
• The restaurant's existing brand recognition, which affects how much guests search directly versus browse a marketplace.
• The ease of use and reliability of the restaurant's own ordering technology.
• Local delivery logistics: restaurants without their own delivery fleet remain more dependent on marketplace-provided logistics even when order value is not.