At a glance, restaurants might not seem like the prime candidates for an e-commerce platform. But when you consider all of the ins and outs of running a restaurant, there are many advantages to establishing an e-commerce presence for businesses in the food service industry.
The most common benefit to come to mind is the ability to sell gift cards. While some local customers may prefer to purchase a gift certificate in person, it’s always a great idea to offer the option to purchase gift cards online. E-commerce platforms for restaurants offer a great opportunity to purchase and mail a gift certificate from a favorite eatery to someone who might not live nearby. Digital gift cards that can be emailed can make a great last minute gift idea, too.
But beyond gift cards, what are the advantages for restaurants to have e-commerce capabilities? For some restaurants with large followings or fan bases, it’s an opportunity to sell merchandise. For others, it’s a way to ship their products and reach a larger customer base than just those customers who live locally. And for more restaurants still, e-commerce platforms open the doors to incredibly robust delivery services and online ordering apps to take their businesses to the next level.
So what e-commerce platforms offer the best array of these options designed to benefit food services businesses? Read on to learn which e-commerce platforms are the best for restaurants.
| Brand | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. BentoBox | Request quote | Restaurant owners looking to start or expand a web presence |
| 2. Lightspeed | $59/month | Restaurant owners and hospitality businesses |
| 3. Flavor Plate | $39/month | All-in-one solution |
| 4. Shopify | $29/month | Food industry professionals |
| 5. Let’s Eat | $10/month | Online eateries |
| 6. Squarespace | $18/month | Small businesses |
1. BentoBox
Designed specifically as a way to bring restaurants online, BentoBox presents restaurant owners with the opportunity to create and host a website, handle online orders, and offer gift cards and other features all in one place. The more than 5,000 restaurants already using the platform can vouch for its plentiful features and user-friendly dashboard, making it a great choice for restaurant owners looking to start or expand a web presence with e-commerce offerings.
Why it’s great: BentoBox not only offers restaurants an intuitive and user-friendly platform to build out a clean and professional website with little development experience, but its offerings go far beyond that as well.
In terms of website-building features, the platform offers easy-to-customize templates, as well as full website design services, where their world-class design team can build a restaurant’s site from the ground up. This leaves restaurateurs with plenty of time to do what they do best, and leave the designing to the experts.
The easy-to-use interface allows for easy access to make updates to the menu or restaurant hours, or view analytics and data from one dashboard. BentoBox also allows for the management of local listings straight from the platform, so information will remain consistent across platforms like Google, Foursquare, and Facebook.
From an e-commerce perspective, BentoBox was designed with restaurant-forward thinking. Clients have the ability to set up online ordering quickly and easily, and can get these orders up and running in less than a week. The platform also offers the ability to expand e-commerce offerings and capabilities, including selling online merchandise, selling digital and physical gift cards, and even managing online events.
How much does it cost? While the specifics on exact costs are not provided without a consultation with the BentoBox team, the platform offers three tiers of flexible, no-contract plans to fit different restaurants’ needs.
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2. Lightspeed
A powerhouse in the point-of-sale industry, Lightspeed has taken its expertise in restaurant business management and expanded into the e-commerce space. The platform’s “eCom for Restaurant” wing offers restaurant owners and hospitality businesses an e-commerce solution that was designed with their specific needs in mind.
Why it’s great: Lightspeed has leveraged its knowledge of the restaurant industry and taken e-commerce for restaurants to the next level with a combination of a user-friendly interface and the proper tools to entice restaurant owners. An easy-to-use e-commerce website theme built specifically with restaurants in mind allows for a quick website setup, making taking a business online a breeze for even the least web-savvy business owners. The theme is super customizable, meaning eateries of all types can ensure brand consistency from their restaurants to their websites.
Lightspeed’s online integrations are what sets the platform apart from others on the market. An online reservation system is built right into the platform, allowing for seamless table booking – meaning restaurants can save time, schedule staff accordingly, and even capture guest data to offer them future discounts and promotions.
Delivery platforms like UberEats, DoorDash, and Skip the Dishes can also be easily integrated, allowing restaurants to reach more customers without the need for multiple platforms, and orders can be consolidated onto a single screen for easy preparation and order management. And integrations with social media platforms like Instagram make sharing content and promotions, and requesting feedback from customers, a seamless experience.
How much does it cost? Lightspeed eCom requires use of Lightspeed’s POS (point-of-sale) system, which begins at $59 per month. Add-on services, including e-commerce, start at an additional $12 per month.
3. Flavor Plate
For restaurant owners lacking in technical know-how, Flavor Plate is an all-in-one solution to their e-commerce needs. As a company focused on simplicity, the Flavor Plate platform offers straightforward features, clean website designs, and a user-friendly interface, making it easy for restaurateurs to run their businesses without stressing over the digital stuff.
Why it’s great: Flavor Plate touts its simplicity and its revenue-generating features, which make it easy for restaurant owners to manage all aspects of the business – from attracting customers, to taking online orders and booking reservations, to generating revenue through digital gift card and merchandise sales, and even promoting events and making announcements – all on one platform.
The highlight of Flavor Plate is that the platform’s creators understand that restaurant owners may not be professional web designers, and instead aim to make the design process as straightforward as possible. With plenty of clean, streamlined templates to choose from that are fully-customizable, restaurants can get online quickly, with as little customization as simply adding in their logo, and as much customization as they’d like.
The site even offers an “easy” guarantee that promises a full refund after a 60-day trial “if you don’t think Flavor Plate is the easiest website builder you’ve ever used.”
Other key offerings of the platform include a gift card shopping cart, online ordering system, ADA-compliant templates and ongoing accessibility testing, an easy-to-use menu management tool, events calendar, and easy social media integration including the ability to synchronize menus with Facebook.
How much does it cost? A free trial is available, and after that, pricing begins at $39 per month. Flavor Plate is also currently running a promotion for COVID-19 relief, offering a discounted rate of $19 per month for the first three months of use.
4. Shopify
It’s no secret that Shopfiy is a powerhouse in the e-commerce industry. After all, it’s the go-to platform that’s trusted by millions of independent business owners globally to house their websites and e-commerce offerings. But it’s also a great option for restaurants that allows them to build a robust web presence and handle online ordering from a straightforward, well-respected platform with proven success.
Why it’s great: Shopify is a leader in the e-commerce space, and it does that very well. Between its user-friendly interface, robust array of customizable offerings, and affordable price point, it’s a no-brainer that so many businesses use Shopify to house their e-commerce businesses. But for restaurants specifically, Shopify understands that so many food industry professionals spend long hours in their restaurants, and don’t always have the time or the capability to build out an e-commerce site.
With design features that are easy to manage and customize, restaurants using Shopify can easily set up an online store to sell gift cards and merchandise, or design their menu and site to reflect the look and feel of their brick and mortar shop. Other e-commerce highlights include the options to order for curbside pickup or delivery straight from the site, and customers can even add a tip directly during checkout.
Shopify’s robust network of experts allows clients the opportunity to outsource design work or projects they may not have the time or ability to do themselves, including freelancers who have direct experience getting restaurants’ online shops up and running.
In addition to restaurant-specific features, Shopify offers an outstanding lineup of offerings for every small business using the platform for e-commerce, including email marketing integrations, social media connectivity, an all-in-one payment portal, and more.
How much does it cost? Pricing begins at $29 per month.
5. Let’s Eat
Trusted by more than 15,000 restaurants around the world, Let’s Eat is a website building and e-commerce platform designed for restaurant owners with the understanding that taking their eatery online is no longer an option, but a necessity. Offering many of the must-have features for restaurants looking to expand online without any additional fluff, Let’s Eat is a great option for restaurants looking for a simple online solution for their eateries.
Why it’s great: Let’s Eat is an uncomplicated, inexpensive answer to restaurants in need of a simple online presence and straightforward e-commerce add-ons. The platform offers restaurateurs a place to easily build a website, list and update their menu, offer printable coupons, promote upcoming events, add a photo gallery, and more.
Integrations with Google maps make it easy for visitors to find the restaurant’s brick and mortar location, and the Let’s Eat Marketplace provides a selection of additional add-ons for restaurants interested in taking their online presence to the next level. These include online ordering capabilities, social media integration, email newsletters, online reservations, resume management, satisfaction surveys, and more.
How much does it cost? Pricing starts at $10 per month of $99 annually.
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6. Squarespace
Squarespace is one of the most popular website building platforms thanks to its highly-customizable and aesthetically pleasing site designs. But beyond looks, Squarespace has a robust offering of website capabilities including e-commerce, making it an attractive choice for restaurants or any small business looking to take their online presence up a notch.
Why it’s great: The all-in-one platform allows for easy site design, menu management, and e-commerce transactions all in one place. For busy restaurant owners, this gives them time to focus on running their business in person, while Squarespace handles all things digital.
For restaurants seeking to add or expand upon their e-commerce offerings, Squarespace offers the ability to easily add a fully-integrated storefront into the website, making it easy for restaurants to sell merchandise, gift cards, or food, right from the platform. Inventory management, order processing, and e-commerce related emails are all easily handled directly from the site as well.
Marketing is a breeze as well, thanks to Squarespace’s easy connectivity to platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more, with built-in analytics. SEO is built-in, making it easier than ever for restaurants to be found online. Other highlights include online ordering through OpenTable, along with event calendars, and more.
How much does it cost? Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial. After that, pricing begins at $18 per month.
Whether you’re a restaurant owner looking to take your business to the next level by adding online ordering, or are seeking a simpler option to integrate all of your digital needs into one platform, there are plenty of e-commerce options on the market designed to enhance the needs of restaurants.
No matter what your needs are, finding the right e-commerce platform for your restaurant is possible. With a little bit of time and research, you will be able to identify the right platform for your restaurant’s needs and take your e-commerce business to the next level successfully.