Online ordering for food trucks and traders

A food truck's busiest hour is also its most fragile one. The queue gets long, people walk away, and the person at the hatch is taking orders, payments and questions at once. Letting customers order ahead online moves part of that work off the hatch. Chefzi gives food trucks, food vans and street food stalls an ordering page on their own web address, with no commission.

How pre-ordering works at a pitch

1. They choose their food and a collection time.
2. The order appears on your till with the customer's name and time.
3. You call their name at the hatch when it is ready.

Collection-only is a normal setup. Switch delivery off and the page only offers collection times.

Telling customers where you are

Food trucks move. Put today's pitch, market or event in your menu header or a short note at the top of the page, and update it before each trading day.

Opening hours can be set day by day, so the page only takes orders when you are actually trading. If a market is rained off, pause ordering for the day.

A short menu, set up for speed

Most trucks run a tight menu, which is ideal online.

• Keep the menu to the items you can make quickly at volume.
• Use option groups for the few choices that matter, such as sauce, spice or a meal upgrade with fries and a drink.
• Mark items sold out from the till when stock runs low, so online customers cannot order what you have run out of.

Short names and clear prices help people who are ordering in a queue or walking up to a festival field.

QR codes on the van

A QR code on the side of the van or on a board near the queue lets people order from their phone while they wait. Our QR ordering page explains the QR setup in more detail.

The till in your pocket

Chefzi POS is the free browser till included with your plan. It runs on a phone or tablet you already own, so there is no extra hardware to fit in the van. Walk-up orders and online pre-orders sit in one queue. Card sales at the hatch go through your own card terminal and are recorded on the till as card. Chefzi POS does not connect to card terminals.

Events and catering

Many traders also do weddings, office lunches and private events. Customers can schedule orders days in advance, and you can set a minimum order on catering items. Keep a phone number on the page for bigger enquiries you would rather discuss.

Your own web address

Food trucks often rely on social pages alone. A custom domain, such as yourtruckname.co.uk, gives you a permanent link to print on the van, flyers and packaging, and it keeps working wherever you trade.

Allergens

Street food menus still need allergen information. Write allergens on each item and on extras that add them, and be ready to answer questions at the hatch.

Pricing and switching

Chefzi is £39 a month per location billed annually (£49 if billed monthly) with everything included (excluding VAT). Orders are unlimited on every plan, with 0% commission and no setup fee. We move your menu from any provider for free. GloriaFood closes on 30 April 2027. See Chefzi pricing and the full online ordering features features.

If you cook from a kitchen for delivery only, the dark kitchen page is a closer fit.

A trading day, start to finish

Morning. Check stock and mark anything you are not bringing as unavailable.

Before service. Set a slightly longer prep time for the first half hour while the grill or fryer heats up, so early pre-orders are not promised too soon.

Peak. Watch the queue on the till. If pre-orders stack up faster than you can cook, raise the prep time so new customers see a later collection slot, rather than turning ordering off.

Close. Pause ordering when you start packing down, so nobody orders for a time you will not be there. Your X and Z reports on the till show what sold, which helps you plan stock for the next pitch.

After a festival weekend. Look at which items sold out first and which barely moved, and trim the menu for the next event. A shorter menu usually means a faster hatch.

Popular UK areas: London, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds and Cardiff.

Frequently asked questions

Can customers pre-order for collection from my van?

Yes. Customers choose a collection time on your ordering page. Use your item descriptions or menu header to say where you are trading that day.

Can I run the till on my phone?

Yes. Chefzi POS runs in a browser, so a phone or tablet you already own can be the till. Card sales at the hatch go through your own card terminal and are recorded on the till as card.

Do I need delivery?

No. You can switch delivery off and offer collection only.

What does Chefzi cost?

Chefzi is £39 a month billed annually (£49 if billed monthly), with the first month free. Everything is included, with your own domain (excluding VAT). Every plan has unlimited orders, 0% commission and no setup fee, and we move your menu from your current provider for free.

Let customers order ahead before they reach your hatch. One plan at £39 a month per location, ex VAT: ordering website, your own branded app (Android & iOS), EPOS till, kitchen screen, SMS and email marketing (GDPR compliant) and loyalty rewards. 0% commission ever, no setup fee, free migration and one month free. Get started or Book a call.