Restaurant Order Taking Apps: Types, Costs and How to Choose One
The five types of restaurant order taking app, from server handhelds and QR ordering to marketplaces and kiosks: what they really cost and how to choose.
By The Menumigo TeamUpdated September 12, 202611 min read
Short answer: A restaurant order taking app records what guests want and sends it to the kitchen. There are five main types:
- Server handhelds, where staff take orders at the table
- QR table ordering, where guests order from their own phone
- Online ordering for pickup and delivery
- Delivery marketplaces
- Self-service kiosks
The right one depends on your service style. Compare total cost (subscription, payment fees, commission and hardware), not the headline price.
Key takeaways
- Full-service restaurants usually need a POS with server handhelds. Counter-service venues and cafés benefit more from QR or kiosk ordering.
- Commission-based marketplaces bring new customers but take a share of every order. Direct online ordering keeps the margin but you have to bring the customers yourself.
- "Free" apps still cost money through payment processing, hardware or paid add-ons.
- Check you can export your data. Several restaurant software vendors have reported that GloriaFood, a widely used free ordering app, shows an in-app notice that it will be retired on 30 April 2027.
- You don't need ordering to modernise. A digital menu with a waiter taking the order is still the norm in most full-service restaurants in Europe.
In this guide
- What is a restaurant order taking app?
- The five types compared
- What it really costs
- Features to look for
- Which type fits your restaurant
- How to switch without disrupting service
- Where a digital menu fits
- FAQ
What is a restaurant order taking app?
A restaurant order taking app is software that captures a guest's order and passes it to the kitchen and the bill. Orders can be entered by a server on a handheld device, by guests on their phones or a kiosk, or come in online for pickup and delivery. Most then print a ticket or show it on a kitchen display screen (KDS), and link to payment.
It replaces the paper notepad, the walk to the kitchen and the manual entry at the till. That cuts errors, speeds service and gives you sales data.
The five types compared
| Type | Who places the order | Best for | Main benefit | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Server handheld / mobile POS | Staff at the table | Full-service restaurants, busy terraces | Faster service and fewer errors while keeping personal service | Hardware and POS subscription costs |
| QR table ordering | Guest, on their own phone | Cafés, bars, beach clubs, casual dining, hotels | No waiting for a server, and staff can cover more tables | Some guests dislike it, and it can feel impersonal in full-service dining |
| Online ordering (pickup/delivery) | Guest, on your website or social pages | Takeaway, pizzerias, dark kitchens | No commission, and you keep the customer data | You must drive your own traffic and arrange delivery |
| Delivery marketplace | Guest, in a third-party app | Reaching new customers, delivery-heavy concepts | Large existing audience, delivery handled for you | Commission on every order, and the customer belongs to the platform |
| Self-service kiosk | Guest, at a screen in the venue | Quick-service, high volume | Shorter queues, consistent upselling | Hardware cost and floor space |
Marketplaces by country (examples): Uber Eats and Glovo (Spain, Portugal, Italy), Just Eat and Deliveroo (France, Italy, Spain), Yemeksepeti and Trendyol Yemek (Turkey), DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub (US).
What it really costs
Every ordering system makes money in some combination of these ways. Add them all up for a realistic month.
| Cost | What to ask | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly price per location, and per device? | Low starting price with essential features in higher tiers |
| Payment processing | Percentage + fixed fee per card transaction, online and in person | Higher online rates than in-person, and rates rising over time |
| Commission | Percentage of each order (marketplaces, some ordering platforms) | Different rates for delivery, pickup and promoted listings |
| Hardware | Handhelds, tablets, printers, KDS, kiosks: buy or lease? | Lock-in to proprietary hardware |
| Setup and training | One-off onboarding fees? | Paid menu setup |
| Contract | Monthly, or 1–3 year commitment? | Early-termination fees |
| Add-ons | Online payments, marketing, loyalty, reservations, integrations | "Free" core with paid essentials |
Example: working out true monthly cost
A café processes €12,000 a month by card through an ordering app:
- Subscription: €49
- Card processing at 1.9% + €0.20 on 2,000 transactions: €228 + €400 = €628
- Receipt printer lease: €15
- Total: €692 a month, or 5.8% of card revenue
The headline price was €49. The real cost is 14 times higher. Use your own rates and volumes. These numbers are for illustration only.
Features to look for
Essential
- Menu with modifiers (sizes, extras, "no onions") and item availability (86'ing sold-out items)
- Allergen notes carried from the order through to the kitchen ticket
- Kitchen printer or KDS integration
- Table and seat numbers, and course timing (starters, then mains)
- Split bills by item, seat or equal shares
- Offline mode, so orders are saved if the Wi-Fi drops
- Card payments and tipping where relevant
- Sales reports by item, hour and staff member
- Data export of menu, sales and customer data
For guest-facing ordering (QR, online, kiosk)
- Menu in several languages
- Allergens shown for every dish. In the EU this information has to be available before the guest orders.
- Photos and clear prices, including any service or cover charge
- No app download and no account required to order
- Pause ordering when the kitchen is overloaded
For compliance
- Fiscal and invoicing rules for your country. Portugal (certified invoicing software), Italy (electronic transmission of receipt data) and several other countries have specific requirements for POS software. Ask the vendor to confirm compliance in writing.
- GDPR-compliant handling of customer data in the EU
Which type fits your restaurant
| Your venue | Start with | Add later |
|---|---|---|
| Full-service restaurant | POS with server handhelds + a digital menu | Online ordering for takeaway |
| Busy terrace or beach bar | Server handhelds or QR table ordering | Kiosk at the counter |
| Café or bakery with counter service | POS at the counter + QR ordering for tables | Online pre-ordering for pickup |
| Pizzeria or takeaway | Direct online ordering | One marketplace for reach |
| Quick-service or food court | Kiosks + counter POS | Marketplace delivery |
| Hotel restaurant or room service | QR ordering in a guest's language | Integration with the property system |
| Food truck | Mobile POS on a phone or tablet | Online pre-ordering for events |
A simple rule: if a server already comes to every table, give them a faster tool before replacing them with a screen. If guests queue at a counter, let them order without the queue.
How to switch without disrupting service
- Export everything from your current system first: menu, modifiers, sales history and customer list.
- Build and check the menu in the new system, including modifiers, allergens and prices with VAT.
- Test in a quiet period. Run a full mock service with staff playing guests.
- Run old and new systems side by side for one or two slow services.
- Train staff on the five most common tasks: open a table, add modifiers, send courses, split a bill, void an item.
- Go live on your quietest day, with a manager on the floor.
- Review after two weeks: errors, ticket times, staff feedback, fees on the first statement.
Where a digital menu fits
An order taking app and a digital menu do different jobs:
- The digital menu lets guests read, translate and check allergens before deciding.
- The order taking app records the decision and sends it to the kitchen.
Many restaurants in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy keep table service and simply replace paper menus with a QR menu. The guest reads the menu on their phone, then orders with the server. It costs far less than full QR ordering and keeps the personal service guests expect.
How Menumigo fits
Menumigo is a browse-only digital menu. It does not take orders or payments, so you'd use it alongside any POS or ordering system:
- Menu in 20+ languages with allergen tags for all 14 EU allergens, so guests decide faster and servers answer fewer questions
- Sold-out toggles that match what the kitchen has
- Per-table QR codes and scan analytics
- A free plan with one venue, unlimited dishes and QR codes, and 2 menu languages. Pro adds unlimited languages, analytics and loyalty.
If guest ordering is essential for your venue, choose an ordering system first. If your staff take orders at the table, a digital menu may be all you need. See how Menumigo compares with Menu Tiger and the free QR menu maker.
FAQ
What app do restaurants use to take orders?
Full-service restaurants typically use a POS system with handheld devices for servers. Cafés and casual venues increasingly use QR code ordering, where guests order on their own phones. Takeaway restaurants use online ordering on their website plus delivery marketplaces, and quick-service chains add self-service kiosks.
Is there a free restaurant order taking app?
Some ordering apps have free plans, but they usually charge for card processing, hardware or add-ons such as online payments. Several vendors have reported that GloriaFood, a well-known free option, shows an in-app notice that it will retire on 30 April 2027. Always calculate total monthly cost. See free restaurant ordering apps.
What is the difference between a POS and an order taking app?
A POS (point of sale) handles the whole transaction: orders, bills, payments, cash, reports and often inventory. An order taking app may be one part of a POS (the server's handheld), or a separate tool that only captures orders and sends them to the kitchen or the POS.
Is QR code ordering better than waiter service?
It depends on the venue. QR ordering suits cafés, bars, beach clubs and quick casual venues where guests want speed. In full-service restaurants, many guests expect a server, so a QR menu for browsing combined with waiter ordering often works better.
How much do restaurant ordering systems cost?
Costs combine a subscription (often charged per location or device), card processing fees (a percentage plus a fixed fee per transaction), marketplace commission where used, hardware and add-ons. Add them all up for a typical month. The total is often many times the headline subscription price.
Do I need an order taking app if I have a digital menu?
Not necessarily. If servers take orders at the table and your POS already sends tickets to the kitchen, a digital menu handles the part guests see. An order taking app becomes worthwhile when order errors, slow service or takeaway volume justify it.
Sources
- GloriaFood pricing page (free service and paid add-ons, checked 12 September 2026). https://www.gloriafood.com/pricing
- Reports of GloriaFood's retirement notice (30 April 2027), for example Fleksa. https://fleksa.com/en/blog/gloriafood-shutting-down-what-restaurants-should-do-next
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/oj