This article grew out of a simple question: in 2025, how are we ordering our meals? Are diners heading straight to restaurant websites, or are they relying on third-party apps?
Quick answer: first-party channels (the restaurant’s own site, app or phone) still capture most orders and the highest profits, while third-party marketplaces such as Uber Eats, SkipTheDishes and DoorDash dominate the delivery-app niche but remain a relatively small slice of total restaurant revenue. Digital ordering overall keeps growing—yet the shift is tilting steadily toward direct, data-rich relationships that restaurants control.
The digital ordering landscape in 2025
- Digital penetration keeps rising. U.S. consumers placed 16 % of all restaurant orders digitally in 2023, up from 5 % pre-pandemic NRA. Paytronix’s 2024 dataset puts the digital mix for “typical” restaurants at 25 – 30 % of all orders DineEngage.
- Where those digital orders land: survey work shows roughly two-thirds flow through a restaurant’s own website or app, with the remaining third on marketplaces. In a national tech-attitudes poll, 84 % of diners said they’d order delivery from a restaurant site if offered, versus 71 % open to third-party apps QSR Magazine.
- Marketplace share is concentrated. DoorDash controls more than 60 % of U.S. delivery-app spending
| Channel | Approx. share of all restaurant orders (U.S.) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| On-premise + phone/pick-up | ~70 – 75 % | Gradual decline |
| First-party digital | 12 – 18 % | Climbing |
| Third-party marketplaces | 5 – 8 % | Flat / modest growth |
Why first-party still wins on profit
- Commission math: marketplaces charge 15 – 30 % per order The Restaurant HQNation’s Restaurant News.
- Bigger baskets: direct-order guests buy more items, more often, and tip more, according to Paytronix’s 2024 Online Ordering Report DineEngage.
- Data ownership: restaurants keep the guest’s contact, visit history and preferences—fuel for loyalty programs and remarketing.
Operators typically mark up marketplace menus or add “third-party premiums” (e.g., Noodles & Company’s 15 % surcharge) to offset fees, yet 43 % of consumers still prefer to order direct when it’s offered—even DoorDash reported that finding to investors DineEngage.
Why marketplaces remain indispensable
- Discovery engine: more than half of app users browse third-party platforms first when deciding where to order DoorDash Merchants.
- Logistics on demand: small brands “rent” fleets and tech they couldn’t build themselves.
- Incremental volume: studies show third-party delivery can lift total sales 10 – 20 % for restaurants that lacked any delivery option Lightspeed.
But that volume is costly: National Restaurant News pegs net margins on marketplace orders as “slightly profitable at best” for 55 % of independents Nation’s Restaurant News.
A Canadian lens
Canada’s online-delivery revenue topped US $19 billion in 2024 Deliverect. SkipTheDishes remains the most used platform—55 % of Canadians have tried it, outpacing Uber Eats at 46 % Made In Canada—but app penetration is only about one household in five, so direct and in-person channels still outweigh marketplaces in absolute dollars. Fee caps and provincial regulations also keep commission pressure high, nudging operators to invest in first-party ordering and curb-side pickup hybrids.
What smart operators are doing
- Everywhere presence, first-party preference
- List menus on DoorDash, Uber Eats, Skip but include in-bag QR codes and promo cards that drive guests to your branded site on the next order.
- Menu price parity (or better) direct
- Deloitte’s consumer work shows fee-sensitive diners switch to direct when total cost is lower NRA.
- Negotiate tiered marketplace plans
- New “logistics-only” bundles can drop effective fees below 15 % for operators who handle their own marketing Restaurant Business Online.
- Leverage Google “Order Online” & Olo/Toast integrations to funnel high-intent searches into zero-commission direct carts Olo | Hospitality at Scale™.
Conclusion
While delivery apps grab headlines—and a hefty 60 % share of the U.S. delivery-app pie belongs to DoorDash alone—the bulk of restaurant revenue in 2025 still lands through channels the restaurant owns. First-party digital is the fastest-rising slice because it couples guest convenience with healthier margins and rich data. Marketplaces remain vital for discovery and logistics, but the most resilient brands treat them as paid acquisition funnels—not their primary storefront. The playbook is clear: be visible everywhere, but make direct the easiest, cheapest, and most rewarding way for guests to order.
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