Best Restaurant Websites to Start a Food Delivery Business in Hong Kong
Are Marketplace apps really the best?
Hong Kong’s food industry has remained resilient throughout the pandemic, with the number of restaurants expanding even faster than before Covid-19. As the market gets more competitive, more restaurants are turning to digital solutions to streamline operations. In an official report commissioned by the government’s investment department, it’s also been observed that demand for food delivery has grown exponentially since 2020, with no signs of stopping.
When considering food delivery options, it’s important to keep in mind the following key factors:
- Accessibility and visibility to potential customers
- Cost-effectiveness of delivery options
- Customisation of branding and storefront
Best Restaurant Websites for Food Delivery & Takeaways
The above table compares three broad options for online deliveries and takeaways in Hong Kong. Each option has its own benefits and drawbacks, so restaurants should carefully consider which platform(s) to use.
1. Highly accessible Marketplace apps (foodpanda, Deliveroo)
Marketplace apps like foodpanda and Deliveroo are popular among merchants who want to start a food delivery business in Hong Kong. They are easy to use, and logistics are fully-managed, allowing you to focus on your core business of making good food By listing your restaurant on these apps, you can reach more customers and build brand awareness. However, there are some limitations. The delivery radius is restricted, and there is limited customisation allowed, making it difficult to stand out from the competition.
Additionally, listing on a marketplace can be more expensive than expected due to high commission rates (~30%), costly activation fees, and a small average basket size per order. So while these apps offer accessibility and convenience, it’s important to consider the potential costs as well.
2. Complete control with e-commerce website builders (Wix, WordPress)
The easiest way to take charge of all aspects of your brand is to build your own food delivery website. This is possible even without coding experience, as platforms like WordPress and Wix offer a basic template for brands to start with. The degree of customisation is extremely high, as you’ll be able to determine exactly how your website looks in order to bring out the best of your brand’s identity.
But the greatest draw for merchants is arguably the lack of commission fees. By cutting out the middleman, you’ll be able to own all revenue earned. That being said, such benefits would have to be measured against the time-consuming nature of running your own platform. Your focus would have to be split between coordinating your own logistics, establishing & maintaining a website, and investing time into marketing efforts to ensure diners are aware of your food delivery business.
3. Having the best of both worlds: your Oddle e-Shop advantage
Built for F&B brands, Oddle presents the perfect middle ground. Oddle provides merchants the tools to take charge of their own food delivery website, easily customisable with a drag-and-drop builder module.
There are no set up fees or maintenance fees involved, and merchants can implement their own delivery parameters by determining fees based on distance and minimum spend.
This flexibility has allowed merchants to take orders from customers across the city. Data has also shown that the average basket size of an Oddle e-Shop is 7 times bigger than marketplace orders, and Oddle takes a nominal 10% commission fee compared to the costly ~30% by marketplace apps.
In our efforts to help merchants drive their brand visibility, the Oddle e-Shop has been optimised for search engine indexability and mobile viewing, so merchants can enjoy peace of mind knowing that their new sales channel is easily discoverable by customers with a single search. Furthermore, Oddle has its own marketplace platform, Oddle Eats, which serves over 50k hungry foodies across Hong Kong, and merchants enjoy listing on the marketplace for free.
With a high degree of flexibility and search visibility online, the Oddle e-Shop truly offers the best of both worlds.
In Summary
Hong Kong’s food delivery market continues to grow as more F&B owners look to digitalise their businesses. While marketplace apps are popular due to their accessibility and high usage rates, their high commission rates have become a challenge in the industry, prompting many to look for the best restaurant websites to build their own food delivery systems instead.
Oddle aims to empower its merchants with an online delivery & takeaway solution that provides them with the greatest benefits possible, including low commission rates and value-added services like fully-managed logistics and marketing.
We regularly publish how-to guides and insights into the food delivery industry in Hong Kong. Looking for more tips? Read about the 6 Must-Have Features for a Restaurant Booking System!
