How to Get Uber Eats Customers to Order Directly From Your Restaurant

Uber Eats got you the customer. Now earn the next order direct.

Uber Eats did its job.

Someone who had never heard of your restaurant opened the app, searched for dinner, found your menu, and placed an order.

That’s a win.

Uber Eats itself positions its Marketplace as a way for restaurants to increase visibility and reach new customers. For someone deciding between ten restaurants they’ve never tried, that exposure can be incredibly valuable.

But then something changes.

The customer loves the food.

A week later, they order again. Then again a few weeks later. Eventually, they aren’t discovering your restaurant anymore.

They’re your repeat customer. But they’re still ordering like a new one.

That’s the opportunity.

The goal isn’t to convince customers to stop using Uber Eats. It’s to give the customers who already know and like your restaurant a compelling reason, and an easy way, to come directly to you next time.

Uber Eats can win the first order. You need a strategy for the second.

There are two very different moments in a restaurant’s relationship with an online customer.

The first is discovery.

The customer doesn’t know where they want to eat. They open a marketplace, browse restaurants, compare menus, and choose yours.

That’s exactly what marketplaces are built to facilitate. Uber Eats promotes its Marketplace as a way for restaurants to get discovered by customers already searching for their next meal.

Then comes retention.

Now the customer knows you.

They know the burger they liked. They remember the pad thai. They know the portions are good. Maybe they open Uber Eats and type your restaurant’s name directly into the search bar.

At that point, the marketplace is playing a different role in the transaction.

The first order is about getting discovered. The second is about giving customers a reason to come back to  you.

Even Uber separates these use cases. Its restaurant solutions distinguish Uber Eats Marketplace from Uber Direct: Marketplace is positioned around reaching new customers, while Uber Direct fulfills delivery orders placed through a restaurant’s own website, app, or other owned channels.

So instead of asking:

“How do we get customers off Uber Eats?”

Ask:

“How do we earn their next order directly?”

That’s a much more useful strategy.

The hard part: customers already have a habit

Getting someone to like your restaurant may actually be easier than getting them to change how they order from it.

Uber Eats is convenient.

The app is already on their phone. Their address may already be saved. Their payment information is ready. They know where the buttons are.

And off-premise ordering is now deeply ingrained in restaurant behavior. According to the National Restaurant  Association’s 2025 Off-Premises Restaurant Trends report, nearly 75% of restaurant traffic now happens off-premises across takeout, delivery, and drive-thru.

So telling customers to “ORDER DIRECT” isn’t enough.

You’re not just promoting another ordering option. You’re asking someone to change an established habit.

To make that happen, you need two things:

1. A reason to order directly.
2. A direct ordering experience convenient enough to become the new habit.

The first is marketing.

The second is infrastructure.

1. Put the direct option where customers will actually see it

If you want marketplace customers to order directly next time, start with the moment when you already have their attention.

The order they just received.

Think about everything that physically reaches them:

• The bag

• The receipt

• The box

• The cup

• A takeout insert

• A sticker

Each one can point customers toward your direct ordering channel.

A simple QR code or short URL with a message like:

“Loved it? Order directly from us next time.”

can introduce customers to an option they may not even know exists.

Don’t assume someone who discovered you through Uber Eats will eventually search for your website. Tell them  exactly where you want them to go next.

2. Give them a reason to change the habit

Direct ordering may be better for your restaurant.

That doesn’t mean it’s automatically better for the customer.

You need to answer the question they’re subconsciously asking:

“Why should I order differently next time?”

The answer doesn’t necessarily have to be a huge discount.

You could offer:

• A direct-order-only promotion

• Loyalty rewards

• A restaurant-exclusive menu item

• A free add-on with qualifying direct orders

• Early access to specials

• Easier reordering

• A pickup perk

The specific incentive matters less than giving customers a reason to try the direct experience once.

Because the real goal isn’t necessarily the promotion.

It’s getting the customer to form a new ordering habit.

Once they know where to find you and discover that ordering directly is just as easy, you have a much better chance of earning the third, fourth, and fifth order there too.

3. Make your website the obvious place to order

Now imagine the customer does exactly what you want.

They see your insert, scan the QR code, and decide to order directly next time.

Where do they land?

If your website makes them hunt for a menu, redirects them through a confusing checkout, works poorly on mobile, or doesn’t clearly explain pickup and delivery, you’ve given them a reason to reopen Uber Eats.

“Order direct” only works when direct ordering is easy.

Your restaurant needs a clear ordering destination that:

• Looks and feels like your restaurant

• Works smoothly on mobile

• Makes the menu easy to navigate

• Handles modifiers clearly

• Offers straightforward checkout

• Accepts payments securely

• Makes pickup and delivery options clear

This is where EZOnline Ordering comes in.

EZOnline gives restaurants a branded direct ordering destination where customers can order from the restaurant itself rather than searching for it inside another marketplace. Payments are handled through RevitPay, creating a more connected direct-ordering and payment experience.

The objective is simple:

When a customer thinks, “I want that restaurant again,” make coming directly to you the easiest next step.

4. Don’t make customers give up delivery to order direct

There’s another potential problem.

Some customers aren’t loyal to Uber Eats.

They’re loyal to delivery.

They want dinner to show up at their door, and whichever experience makes that easiest is likely to win.

So asking someone to order directly while taking away delivery isn’t much of an offer.

Fortunately, the ordering channel and the delivery network don’t have to be the same thing.

DoorDash, for example, offers Drive On-Demand, which allows restaurants to use Dashers to fulfill orders placed through their own website or app. DoorDash charges a flat delivery fee rather than a Marketplace commission for those orders.

Uber follows a similar model with Uber Direct, which it specifically describes as delivery fulfillment for orders coming through a restaurant’s own website, app, or phone channels.

That distinction is important:

Who takes the order and who delivers the order do not have to be the same company.

A restaurant can build a direct ordering relationship while still using an established third-party delivery network for the last mile.

5. Give customers a direct relationship with your restaurant

There’s another advantage to bringing repeat business into your own ordering environment: visibility into your direct customers.

With EZOnline Ordering, restaurants can access order and customer information generated through their direct ordering channel.

That gives you a better understanding of the customers choosing to order directly, including what they order and how frequently they return.

That matters because the value of direct ordering isn’t just one transaction.

It’s what you can learn and build from the next ten.

Your ordering channel can become part of a larger retention strategy involving loyalty, restaurant promotions, customer communication, and a better understanding of repeat purchasing behavior.

6. Make sure direct ordering doesn’t create more work behind the counter

There’s one last hurdle: your employees.

If generating more direct orders means introducing a complicated new workflow, another collection of devices, or a major technology overhaul, adoption becomes harder internally too.

Your direct ordering strategy needs to work for the people fulfilling the orders, not just the customers placing them.

EZOnline Ordering is designed to work alongside a restaurant’s existing environment rather than automatically requiring the entire technology stack to be replaced. POS compatibility can be evaluated based on the restaurant’s current setup.

That changes the conversation from:

“How do we replace everything?”

to:

“How do we give customers a better way to come back?”

The goal isn’t to beat Uber Eats. It’s to own the second order.

Uber Eats can be extremely good at what it does.

It puts restaurants in front of customers who are actively deciding where to eat. Uber itself describes its restaurant Marketplace as a way to increase visibility and gain new customers.

That isn’t the problem.

The missed opportunity is letting every future order from that customer follow exactly the same path by default.

The first order might belong to discovery.

The second doesn’t have to.

Think of marketplaces the way you would any other customer acquisition channel: use them to get discovered, deliver an experience worth repeating, and then give customers an obvious path back to your restaurant.

Uber Eats can help with the introduction.

Your restaurant should have a strategy for what happens next.

Give your repeat customers a direct way to order

You don’t need to stop using the platforms that already generate business for your restaurant.

You need somewhere great to send customers when they’re ready to come directly to you.

With EZOnline Ordering, restaurants can create a branded direct ordering experience, accept payments through RevitPay, support pickup and delivery options, and give repeat customers a direct path back to the restaurant.

Because the best outcome from a marketplace order isn’t necessarily getting rid of the marketplace.

It’s turning one successful first order into a customer who knows exactly where to find you the next time  they’re hungry.

See how EZOnline Ordering works for restaurants.

Direct online ordering FAQ

Do I have to stop using Uber Eats to offer direct ordering?

No. You can keep using Uber Eats to reach new customers while giving repeat customers a way to order directly from your restaurant. The two channels can support different parts of your business.

Can customers still get delivery when they order direct?

Yes, if your direct ordering setup supports delivery. Orders placed through your website can be fulfilled by your own drivers or a third-party delivery service. Available options and fees depend on your provider and setup.

Does direct online ordering replace my POS?

Not necessarily. EZOnline Ordering is designed to work alongside your restaurant’s existing technology. POS compatibility and how orders reach your team should be evaluated based on your current setup.

What customer information do I receive from direct orders?

With EZOnline Ordering, you can access customer and order information generated through your direct ordering channel. This can help you understand what customers order and how often they return. The specific information available depends on your setup and what customers provide.