From Drive-Thru to Online Ordering: How To Create and Manage Restaurant Order Channels

Today’s diners are looking for more than just sit-in settings. With more demand for multi-channel ordering options – such as QR codes and self-service kiosks – it’s more important than ever to adapt to changing customer needs and integrate the technology needed to create new order channels.

But while these channels come with new opportunities to increase sales and improve convenience, they also add complications behind the scenes. A reliable unified commerce platform, like NCR Voyix offers, can help bring these channels together, connecting payments, menus, kitchen workflows, and customer orders in one place.

In this guide, we’ll share how restaurants can create, manage and optimize different order channels. From how to set up online ordering for your restaurant to introducing QR code ordering and self-service kiosks, investing in new order channels can help deliver a smoother experience for customers and make the most of new revenue opportunities.

1. Audit and Optimize Your Ordering Channel Strategy

Modern restaurants need to offer customers multiple ways to discover, order, and pay for food beyond traditional counter or table service.

Today, digital ordering channels like mobile and self-service kiosks have become the most predominant form of restaurant ordering. This gives customers faster and more convenient ways to purchase food, while also improving order accuracy and creating new revenue opportunities for businesses. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of the most essential channels to consider:

How do you set up direct web and mobile online ordering for a restaurant?

Direct web and mobile online ordering offers high customer data retention and brand control at a low flat monthly fee or 0%–5% commission. With the average American consumer spending over $1,566 annually on food delivery services, learning how to create online ordering for restaurants is one of the highest-return steps you can take.

When planning how to set up online ordering for your restaurant, this can be done in two ways. Most notably, modern POS systems offer certain modules, such as NCR Voyix, which provides online ordering tools as a paid add-on and can process 110 million mobile orders every month. You can also use standalone third-party tools that can be embedded on your existing business website.

Whatever you go for, here’s how the rest of the process works:

• Set up your digital menu: Ensure your menu includes items that can remain fresh during transit (including transit delays), explicit modifiers (like sides, dressings, sauce, etc.), clear photos (menus with professional photos increase sales by 20-45%), and detailed descriptions including allergy tags (gluten-free, vegan, nut-free).
• Configure order fulfillment and kitchen hardware: Set up how incoming orders will arrive to your kitchen, such as direct POS integration (automatically routes digital orders to your Kitchen Display System (KDS) or receipt printers), tablet-based ordering systems, or manual order entry.
• Embed ordering links on direct channels: Publish your order links across relevant channels, such as adding a clear “Order Now” button on your website, connecting with Order with Google, or inserting links in your Instagram bio, Facebook page and WhatsApp profiles.
• Establish packaging and pickup operations: Designate a clearly labeled pickup shelf or counter away from the main dining line, use vented and insulated packaging to prevent food from getting soggy in transit, and attach receipts to bags so staff can verify order contents before delivering.

How do third-party delivery apps work for restaurant ordering?

Delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash have become major platforms for restaurant discoverability. In fact, 55% of first-time orders on DoorDash come from consumers who are simply browsing and not looking for a specific restaurant. 

And with DoorDash owning over 60% of the market share in the US, it’s a great opportunity for your restaurant to get discovered. The only downside is that third-party apps often come with high commission fees – usually around 15%-30% per order.

The onboarding process is different depending on which delivery platform you choose, but it typically looks like this:

• Preparing necessary documents: This includes your business name, tax ID/EIN and business registration license. You should also connect your business bank account for direct deposits.
• Providing restaurant details: Your business’s contact details, opening/closing hours, and pickup instructions for drivers.
• Registering on the merchant portal: Fill in your store’s basic information, including address, phone number, cuisine type, and contact name.
• Selecting your hardware and integration method: Connect third-party channels directly into your POS through built-in platform app stores or middleware (like Deliverect and Otter) or request a provider tablet (DoorDash or Uber Eats) to manually view and accept incoming orders on a dedicated device.
• Uploading your menu: You can either do this by manually uploading a PDF document or a website menu link, or push your online menu categories and modifiers directly from your POS portal.

How do you implement QR code table ordering in dine-in restaurants?

QR code table ordering allows dine-in guests to scan a table-specific QR code on their phone to browse the digital menu, customize items, and pay directly to their table without waiting for a server. 

As well as being low-cost (around 1%-3% in transaction fees), it also leads to faster table turnaround and reduces the need for servers on the floor. A Nova study indicates that 70% of restaurants deploy QR codes to process digital menu browsing and payments. 

You can set up QR code table ordering by:

• Deciding how the QR system feeds into your kitchen operations: Modern systems offer native QR table ordering so that orders are sent directly to your register and KDS. Alternatively, you can use standalone QR code software through a separate tablet if your POS system doesn’t support QR code orders.
• Building a mobile-optimized menu: Design a mobile-friendly menu (large text, high-quality images, detailed item descriptions, prominent “add to cart” buttons, etc.) that customers can easily browse and place orders from their phones.
• Linking individual QR codes to your floor plan: Map each unique code to a specific table number in your floor management software so the kitchen ticket routes to the right place. Add a clear call-to-action text below the code (like “Scan to view menu” or “Order & Pay”) so customers know what the code does.

What are the costs and setup requirements for self-ordering kiosks?

Self-ordering kiosks are standalone touchscreen terminals placed near restaurant entrances or counters, designed to reduce lines and speed up the ordering process. 

Demand for touchscreen terminals expanded rapidly as suppliers delivered 75,000 self-ordering kiosks to the hospitality industry in the year ending June 2025.

However, compared to other order channels, self-ordering kiosks come with a significant investment and can cost your business between $1,500 and $20,000, depending on hardware features and software.

To set up a self-service kiosk, you’ll need to choose your hardware setup (options include a countertop stand, free-standing pedestal or wall-mounted units), pair the software with your KDS and POS and connect the payment terminals and printers.

How do you design and configure a restaurant drive-thru channel?

Drive-thru channels boost off-premise restaurant revenue by over 70% while significantly increasing ordering speed and capacity. 

But much like with self-service kiosks, drive-thrus also come with a heavy investment. The overall cost is around $30,000 to $100,000+, but the final price depends on whether you’re buying individual system components.

The typical process of setting up a drive-thru includes:

• Planning traffic flow and window configuration: Consider lane width, line capacity, menu board placement, order points, payment windows, pedestrian safety, and accessibility support. Make sure the design supports peak-hour demand without blocking parking areas or disrupting dine-in operations.
• Installing audio, detection and outdoor display systems: Set up drive-thru communication equipment, including headsets, speaker posts, microphones, vehicle detection sensors, digital menu boards, and customer-facing displays.
• Configuring POS and dedicated drive-thru KDS line: Connect the drive-thru ordering system directly to a unified commerce platform like NCR Voyix and create a dedicated kitchen workflow so quick service orders are prioritized, tracked, and prepared efficiently.
• Setting up payment terminals: Install secure payment solutions at the drive-thru window or order point, including card readers, contactless payment terminals, and mobile payment options.

2. Centralize Your Order Management

Customers today expect ordering to be fast, accurate and consistent, regardless of where they order. But when restaurants manage these orders across disconnected channels, customers can experience unavailable items that still appear online, incorrect prices, delayed orders, or orders that never reach the kitchen.

As restaurants expand across in-store, online, mobile, delivery, and third-party ordering channels, keeping every channel synchronized becomes difficult. That’s why a centralized order management system helps remove these pain points by ensuring that what customers see and order matches what the restaurant can actually prepare and fufill.

One system, fewer ordering errors

For operators, centralizing orders through a unified commerce platform creates a single source of truth across every ordering channel. Instead of managing orders, menu updates, inventory, and kitchen workflows across disconnected systems, teams can monitor and manage everything from one place. This helps reduce kitchen delays, missed orders, and inventory discrepancies while giving them better visibility and control over everyday operations.

For example, NCR Voyix connects POS, payments, loyalty programs, kitchen, and back-office systems in a unified platform, offering seamless operations across multiple locations while giving businesses centralized visibility and control.

It also provides real-time sales and inventory control to keep menus, stock levels, and order availability updated across every channel. When an item sells out in the restaurant, it can automatically be removed from online ordering too, helping prevent cancelled orders.

And for businesses operating multiple locations, its centralized management tools make it easier to roll out menu changes, update prices, launch promotions, and manage employee permissions across all sites from one place. Meanwhile, its integrated reporting and loss prevention tools offer greater visibility into transactions, so that operators can observe any unusual activity, cash discrepancies or excessive voids.

Restaurant owners can leverage NCR Voyix’s cloud-based management tools to monitor daily operations from a single platform. (Source: NCR Voyix/Getty Images)

3. Optimize Your Order Channel Operations

Whether ordering through a restaurant’s website, a delivery app, at the counter, or from the table, customers expect the same menu, prices, availability and level of service.

Optimizing your order channels is about making sure every part of the ordering process works together, from the moment a customer places an order to when it reaches the kitchen and is handed over. Here are some practices to consider:

Synchronizing menus across platforms

Customers can become frustrated when an item shown as available is actually sold out, or when prices differ between channels. Therefore, you should maintain one master menu that updates pricing, availability, modifiers, and promotions across every sales channel. This also reduces manual updates and ensures customers see accurate information wherever they are.

Creating channel-specific workflows

Customers ordering for delivery, takeaway or dine-in have different expectations around preparation and handoff. For operators, this means configuring workflows around the requirements of each channel. This includes adjusting preparation times, priorities, and routing rules depending on where orders come from. For example, delivery orders may need extra packaging checks, while dine-in orders may require table numbers and different timing.

Monitoring order volumes and kitchen capacity

Long waits and delayed orders can quickly affect the customer experience, particularly during busy periods. Therefore, operators should use reporting tools to understand demand by channel and identify when the kitchen is approaching its capacity. From there, teams can adjust staffing, menu availability, order limits, or preparation times to manage demand and avoid overwhelming the kitchen.

Standardizing fulfillment and handoff processes

Diners want to know when and where their order will be ready, and unclear collection processes can lead to delays or incorrect handoffs. In this case, businesses should create clear procedures for every type of fulfillment – from delivering orders to dine-in tables to managing takeaway collections and delivery driver pickups. Dedicated pickup areas, order status tracking, and clear labelling can help teams manage handoffs more efficiently.

Training staff on omnichannel operations

When staff aren’t clear on how different orders enter the system or how modifications and cancellations should be handled, mistakes can reach the customer. That’s why operators should give front-of-house and kitchen teams clear training on the tools and processes behind each channel. Staff should understand how orders appear in the POS and KDS, how to manage customer requests and changes, and how to follow the correct process for each order type.

Restaurant businesses can use NCR Voyix’s back-office management software and performance reports to review operational data and plan store strategy. (Source: NCR Voyix/Getty Images)

Final Thoughts

Multi-channel ordering options have become a considerable expectation for today’s consumer, with businesses needing to think beyond typical dine-in service by offering new options for both customer convenience and new sales opportunities.

However, the most important part is ensuring that new channels can be implemented with no disruption to everyday operations. In this case, partnering with NCR Voyix can be extremely beneficial for adopting new order channels while upholding a good level of service across all locations.

As your business grows, outdated services and disjointed data systems are only going to hold you back. With carefully planned order channels and high-capacity systems, scaling becomes easier by giving you the tools to manage more locations, simplify processes, and deliver consistent experience across every customer touchpoint.

Written By

Emily Clark Taking Payments Editor

As the Taking Payments Editor, Emily specialises in content around POS, merchant accounts, and accounting – helping SMEs understand the tools and services they need to take payments confidently and grow their businesses. She also holds an MSc in Digital Marketing and Analytics, giving her the knowledge and skills to create a diverse range of creative and technical content. With a genuine passion for helping small businesses grow, Emily is all about making complex topics accessible and creating content that can help make a difference.

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