How to Set Up Online Ordering for Your Restaurant in 2026

Every restaurant owner knows the drill: customers want to order online, but the platforms that make it possible take 15–30% of every sale. That margin is the difference between profit and just keeping the lights on.

The good news? Setting up your own branded ordering system is no longer a six-figure project. In 2026, platforms like Kllivo let you launch a commission-free storefront in under ten minutes - no developer, no agency, no recurring platform fees eating into every order.

Why direct ordering matters

Third-party delivery apps built massive customer bases, but the economics have never worked in the restaurant’s favour:

• Commission fees - 15–30% per order on platforms like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Deliveroo.
• No customer data - the app owns the relationship, not you.
• Price inflation - many restaurants raise menu prices on apps to offset fees, confusing loyal customers.
• Brand dilution - your restaurant sits next to every competitor in a scroll-and-compare feed.

Direct ordering flips every one of those problems. You keep 100% of the order value, you own the customer data, and your brand stands alone.

What you need before you start

Not much, honestly. Here is the complete checklist:

1. Your restaurant name and a short URL slug (e.g. kllivoapp.com/your-restaurant).
2. Your menu - even a rough list of items with prices is enough to start.
3. A payment gateway account (Stripe, Pokpay, Paystack, or Flutterwave etc. - all free to create).
4. 15 minutes of focused time.

Step-by-step: launching your storefront

1. Create your account

Sign up at kllivoapp.com/sign-up with an email or Google account. No credit card is required.

2. Complete onboarding

The onboarding wizard asks for your business name, store URL, country, state and preferred currency. This takes about 60 seconds and sets up your timezone, tax defaults and storefront URL automatically.

3. Add a branch

Even if you have a single location, Kllivo needs one branch record. Add your address, phone number, prep time and operating hours. This information displays on your storefront so customers know when you’re open and how long their order will take.

4. Build your menu

Create categories (Starters, Mains, Drinks, Desserts - whatever fits), then add products with descriptions, prices and optional size variants or add-ons. Upload a photo if you have one, but it’s not required - a clean text menu converts well too.

5. Connect a payment gateway

Head to Payments in your dashboard and paste your Stripe, Paystack or Flutterwave API keys. You can also enable Cash on Delivery or Pay on Pickup if you prefer offline payments. Kllivo never touches the money - it goes straight to your account.

6. Share your link

Your storefront is live at kllivoapp.com/your-slug. Share it on Instagram, WhatsApp, Google Business Profile, printed flyers - anywhere your customers already look for you. Kllivo also includes a free QR code generator so you can put a scannable code on tables, receipts and takeaway bags.

What happens when an order comes in?

Orders appear in your dashboard in real time. You confirm, prepare, mark ready and mark delivered - all with one-click status buttons. The customer gets live updates on their order page. No phone calls, no misheard orders, no scribbled notes.

The bottom line

If you are still paying 20–30% commission per order, you are working for the delivery app, not for yourself. Setting up your own ordering takes less time than a slow lunch service - and the savings start with the very first order.