Restaurateurs are increasingly faced with a dilemma: is it better to invest in classic phone ordering or develop an online ordering system? On the one hand, the telephone has remained the natural channel of contact for years - fast, personal, and liked by many regular guests. On the other hand, online ordering offers customers convenience, automates processes, and allows sales to be scaled across multiple locations simultaneously.
But which model actually promotes higher sales, lower operating costs, and better customer service? Or perhaps the answer is a combination of both solutions? In this article, I will analyze the advantages and limitations of both approaches, show examples from the market, and suggest how restaurateurs can choose a system tailored to their real needs.
Online ordering systems and restaurant websites can be customized to reflect your brand, including your logo, colors, and unique identity. Choosing the right ordering channel and optimizing your website can help attract new clients and retain loyal customers.
Why Ordering Channels Matter for Restaurants Today
For modern restaurants, the ordering channel is not just a technical detail, it’s a key part of their business strategy. Every phone call or click in the app is not only a potential sale, but also an opportunity to build loyalty and collect valuable customer data.
In practice:
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Phone ordering still accounts for a large proportion of orders in traditional restaurants and chains, especially during peak hours, when quick contact is often crucial.
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Online ordering systems allow for full automation - from order acceptance, through credit or debit card payment, to integration with POS systems or delivery systems.
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Customer experience depends on whether the process is simple and fast. Long phone queues or poorly designed online forms result in a real loss of orders.
A well-designed restaurant website is crucial for enabling online ordering and can help grow revenue by making it easier for customers to place orders directly.
Restaurateurs who choose the right mix of channels not only attract more customers, but also optimize operations and labor costs. Companies such as Shawarmer and Alamar show that this decision directly affects the scale of the business - from handling thousands of orders per day to maintaining consistent quality across all locations.
Phone Ordering: Strengths and Limitations
Although the restaurant digitization market is growing rapidly, phone ordering remains an important channel - especially among loyal customers or in establishments where quick contact “here and now” determines sales. However, missed phone orders and order accuracy issues can arise, raising the question: does this solution work in every situation?
Advantages and limitations of phone ordering
| Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|
| Direct customer interaction - builds rapport and allows you to immediately answer questions about the menu, allergies, or delivery. | High call volume = missed calls - during peak hours, many orders are lost, and every missed call means lost revenue. |
| Flexibility - easy to take non-standard orders (e.g., catering, special diets). | Human error - a miswritten order or typo in the address can lead to complaints and losses. |
| Accessibility - preferred by older generations who are less likely to use apps. | Limited scalability - it is difficult to handle dozens of calls at the same time without increasing the number of employees. |
| Immediate feedback - the ability to quickly confirm delivery times and food availability. | Labor costs - involves staff at a time when they could be performing other operational tasks. |
Examples from Railwaymen’s activities:
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Shawarmer - a chain from the GCC, which faced the problem of missed calls due to high order volumes. Only the integration of digital channels allowed them to maintain a balance between personal contact and automation.
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Wister - a fast food chain in Saudi Arabia, where even a 3-minute wait in line was considered too long. The introduction of a mobile ordering system radically reduced the number of overloaded phone lines and improved customer satisfaction.
Online Ordering Systems: Benefits and Challenges
Online ordering has become one of the main drivers of growth for restaurants, both local and global QSR brands. For customers, it means convenience and speed, and for owners, it means better control over data and the ability to scale their business. But does digitization solve all problems?
| Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|
| 24/7 availability - orders can be placed without time restrictions, even outside of business hours. | Digital gap - some customers, especially older ones, still prefer to order by phone. |
| Customer data - each transaction provides insights into preferences, frequency, and order value. | Dependence on internet connection - poor network = lost orders. |
| Fewer errors - customers choose dishes from the menu themselves, which minimizes mistakes. | Platform fees - using external marketplaces (e.g., Uber Eats, Talabat) involves high commissions. |
| Scalability - the ability to handle multiple orders simultaneously without additional workload for employees. | Initial setup and maintenance - creating your own system requires investment and integration with POS. |
| Multiple payment options - card payments, | Customer detachment - the lack of direct contact can make it difficult to build relationships and loyalty. |
Examples from Railwaymen's activities:
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Alamar Foods (Domino’s and Dunkin’ franchisee in the GCC) - thanks to the implementation of a centralized digital system, it was able to manage promotions and payments in multiple countries simultaneously, which would have been impossible with sole reliance on the telephone.
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Wister - by implementing mobile-first ordering, it reduced queues in restaurants by 70% and increased the number of orders during peak hours, which phone ordering was unable to achieve.
Phone Ordering or Online Ordering: Which Fits Your Restaurant Best?
Phone ordering and online ordering are not competitors - they are channels that respond to different customer needs. The choice depends on who your customers are and what business goals you want to achieve.
Phone ordering still works well where relationships and personalization matter. Older, loyal customers or those with non-standard orders prefer to talk to staff. For restaurants, this means the opportunity for direct contact and upselling, but also the risk of overload during peak hours and higher labor costs.
Online ordering is the choice of customers who value convenience and speed. Here, orders are more repetitive, easier to scale, and integrate with POS or delivery systems. This channel supports efficiency and minimizes errors, but makes it difficult to build customer relationships and requires investment in IT systems and their maintenance.
The most profitable restaurants do not limit themselves to one model. Most restaurants today combine both phone and online ordering channels to maximize efficiency and customer satisfaction. They combine both channels into a coherent ecosystem, where phone ordering takes orders that require contact with staff, and online ordering handles the volume in an automated manner. This solution allows you to:
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increase the number of orders handled during peak hours,
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reduce costs and human error,
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better tailor the offer to different customer groups,
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collect data that supports further business decisions.
Maybe it's worth combining both solutions
If your restaurant is still wondering which model to choose, the answer is simple: combine both channels and build a system tailored to your customers. Both phone ordering and online ordering come with trade-offs that directly shape the customer experience and restaurant efficiency. Online menus with photos and add-ons often drive higher order values and reduce errors, since customers enter their choices themselves.
On the other hand, phone ordering - especially when supported by AI phone systems - ensures that no calls are missed during peak hours, maintaining a personal touch that some loyal customers still prefer. The truth is, the most successful restaurants don’t choose between the two - they combine them. By capturing 100% of phone calls and offering seamless online ordering, they maximize revenue, reduce operational stress, and build stronger customer loyalty.
How Railwaymen Helps Restaurants Combine Both Channels
At Railwaymen, we help restaurants in the GCC and Europe design such solutions - from phone ordering systems with high-volume support to advanced online platforms integrated with POS and payments.
Want to find out which solution will bring you more orders and higher margins? Schedule a free consultation with our team.
Conclusion
Choosing between phone ordering and online ordering isn’t about picking a winner - it’s about aligning both channels with your restaurant’s strategy. The key is to create an ecosystem where every order, whether placed online or by phone, is processed quickly, accurately, and integrated into your POS and analytics systems.
At Railwaymen, we design custom solutions that combine the strengths of both approaches - AI-powered phone ordering systems, seamless online platforms, and full POS integrations. The result? More sales, happier customers, and fewer operational headaches.
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