Chinese takeaway online ordering system

Most Chinese takeaways have the longest menu on the high street. Fifteen sections, 120 to 200 numbered dishes, three sizes of chips, set meals for one, two and four, and a banquet that changes the price per head. Long phone calls and misheard numbers are where orders go wrong.

Chefzi puts that whole menu on your own ordering website, in the same numbered order as your printed menu, with 0% commission and no setup fee. Customers pick from it on their phone, the order rings on the Chefzi app on your phone or tablet, and you accept it with a ready time.

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What the FSA register says about Chinese takeaways

Across the 19 council areas we've pulled from the Food Standards Agency register (extract 19 Oct 2026), at least 718 takeaways have a Chinese name. That's the third biggest group we can identify by name, after pizza and fish and chips. The biggest clusters are in Glasgow (83), Leeds (80), Birmingham (71) and Bradford (50). These are estimates from business names only. More than half of all takeaways don't have a cuisine in their name, so the real totals are higher.

What that means for you: in most towns you're one of several Chinese takeaways within a short drive. A customer who can see your full menu, your hygiene rating and an exact ready time on their phone has a reason to pick you instead of the one with a printed leaflet.

Getting a numbered menu online

Keep the numbers. Put each dish's number at the front of its name. Customers who have ordered "number 47 and a 62" for ten years will search by number.

Use your printed sections. Soups, starters, chef's specials, chicken, beef, pork, king prawn, duck, vegetarian, chow mein, foo yung, curry, sweet and sour, rice, chips, extras, set meals and drinks. Online sections work best in exactly the order customers already know.

One dish, one entry. Chicken, beef and king prawn versions of the same sauce can each be their own numbered dish, as on paper. Don't add a protein choice unless your menu already works that way.

Rice and chips upgrades are options. "Swap boiled rice for egg fried rice +£1.00" belongs on the dish, so the kitchen and the price are right without a note.

Set meals are single items. A "Set Meal B for 2" is one item at one price, with required choices only where you allow swaps. The ticket lists every course, so packing is quick.

Banquets priced per person. Price the banquet per head and say "minimum 2 people" in the description, so a party of five simply orders quantity five.

Moving from GloriaFood or a PDF? You don't need to retype 180 dishes. See how to move your menu without retyping it.

A Chinese takeaway website, not just a menu page

Most Chinese takeaways still rely on a printed leaflet and a phone that rings non-stop between 5:30pm and 9pm. A Chinese takeaway website built on Chefzi does the leaflet's job and takes the order too. The menu, dish numbers and set meals are on one page, your opening and delivery hours are shown, and every order arrives typed out on the kitchen app instead of being shouted down the phone. Put the link on your Google Business Profile, your leaflets and your shop window. Regulars who order every Friday can then come to you directly instead of through a delivery app. See what a takeaway website needs and how to add an order link to Google.

Chinese New Year 2027: Saturday 6 February

Chinese New Year falls on a Saturday in 2027, the busiest night of the week anyway. Open pre-orders a week ahead, price banquets per person, and give honest ready times when you accept orders. Collection keeps moving when drivers are stretched.

Chinese takeaways cluster in cities such as Bradford, Leeds and Birmingham.

Peak times: Friday, Saturday and Chinese New Year

Chinese takeaways have a short, sharp window. Most of the week's orders land between about 5:30pm and 9pm on Friday and Saturday, and Chinese New Year can feel like Christmas Eve.

• Give an honest ready time. When you accept an order in the app, you set the time. On a busy Saturday, 45 minutes is better than a promise of 20 and a cold call later.
• Delivery off, collection on. If your drivers are all out, turn delivery off and keep collection orders coming. Collection and delivery hours are set separately anyway.
• Pre-orders for big nights. Let customers place orders earlier in the day for a set collection time, so Chinese New Year banquets don't all arrive at 7pm.
• Holiday closures. Set a holiday closure window from the dashboard and online ordering closes for collection and delivery together.

Delivery around your area

Set delivery zones by distance, each with its own fee and minimum order. Many Chinese takeaways use a higher minimum for the outer zone, because set meals for two are the typical basket. Cash on delivery and collection is offered, so customers who prefer to pay the driver still can.

Allergens: soy sauce isn't just soya

Soy sauce usually contains wheat as well as soya, and oyster sauce comes from molluscs. Prawn crackers, sesame prawn toast, satay (peanut) and egg-fried rice cover four more of the 14 regulated allergens. Put allergen information on each dish and make it clear how customers can contact you before ordering. That protects you and the customer.

Restaurant as well as takeaway?

If you have tables, QR table ordering lets diners scan the code on their table and order from the same menu, with orders going to the same kitchen app.

What Chefzi costs a Chinese takeaway

• No setup fee.
• 0% commission on every order, so you keep the full price of a £38 set meal for four.
• First month free.
• Then £39 a month billed annually (£49 if billed monthly) per location, excluding VAT, with your own domain and your own branded app (Android & iOS) included.
• Use your own domain, for example goldendragon-takeaway.co.uk.

Chefzi doesn't do a self-order kiosk or courier integrations. Your restaurant’s own branded app (Android & iOS) is included. If you need those, use a specialist alongside Chefzi.