How to set up online ordering for a new restaurant in the UK

Updated 12 Nov 2026. Official requirements below link to GOV.UK and Food Standards Agency pages read on 12 November 2026. Rules differ slightly between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and your council has the final say, so check with your local authority.

Online ordering is the last thing most new restaurants set up and one of the first things customers look for. This checklist puts the steps in the order that avoids rework: the legal basics first, then the menu, then payments, then the places customers will find your order link. Chefzi wrote this guide, so the product steps describe Chefzi; the legal and menu steps apply whichever system you pick.

The short version

1. Register the business with your local council at least 28 days before you trade. That is the GOV.UK rule for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and it is the only step with a hard lead time.
2. Write your allergen information before you build the menu online. Customers must be able to find it, and it is easier to add to a menu as you build it than to bolt on later.
3. Build the menu once, with options and prices, then set collection hours and delivery zones.
4. Choose how customers pay, cash, card, or both, and know who charges what.
5. Put the order link on your own website, your Google Business Profile and your socials, then place a real test order before opening.

Step by step

1. Registration comes first

GOV.UK says you must register with your local authority to run a food business, and that you are required to register at least 28 days before trading. It also says each site is registered with the local authority where it is, and that the Food Standards Agency recommends not registering much earlier than 28 days before you are ready to start. For licences and premises rules, see how to start a takeaway business in the UK, which covers England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

2. Hygiene rating and your website

After you register, the council inspects and the rating is published on the Food Standards Agency's ratings site. The Food Standards Agency says that in England, Wales and Northern Ireland you are encouraged to display your rating on your website and social media pages, and that displaying it in Wales and Northern Ireland at the premises is a legal requirement (Scotland runs its own scheme). Once you have a rating, putting it on your ordering page is a trust signal for first-time customers.

3. Allergens before the menu

Customers ordering online cannot ask a member of staff, so the allergen information has to be in the menu. Have a written list of the allergens in each dish before you start typing items in. If you sell food prepacked for direct sale, such as wrapped sandwiches, the Food Standards Agency's PPDS guidance (also known as Natasha's Law) sets labelling rules. Our guides cover allergen information on online menus and PPDS labelling.

4. Build the menu once

Plan the menu on paper first: categories, then items, then options such as sizes and extras, then prices. Keep names the same as your printed menu so regulars recognise the dishes. With Chefzi we move your menu for you at no charge from any provider or a photo of your printed menu, and we get you live in 24–48 hours, max. If you build it yourself, use the same structure.

5. Collection, delivery and opening hours

Decide what you will offer on day one. Collection alone is the simplest. If you add delivery, set delivery zones with their own fee, minimum order and time, and remember Chefzi uses your own drivers; it does not book couriers. Set collection and delivery hours separately so you can stop delivery at a busy time and keep collection open. See delivery zones.

6. Payments: cash, card or both

Cash on collection and cash on delivery are available on every Chefzi plan. Card payments start on the Plus plan and run through the processor you choose, Stripe Connect, Square, Worldpay or PayPal, which charges its own card fees; Chefzi takes no commission and no share. Whichever system you choose, ask who charges the card fee, whether there is a fee per order, and when the money reaches your bank. Our online menu prices and fees guide explains how to price the menu around fees.

7. Your web address

You can use an ordering page on your own domain on every Chefzi plan, or add an order button to a site you already have. A short domain that matches your restaurant name is easier for customers to type. See takeaway domain names.

8. Google Business Profile

Add your order link to your Google Business Profile once the profile is verified, so people who find you on Google or Maps can order straight from you. Our walk-through: add an order online link to your Google Business Profile.

9. Test before you open

• Place an order on your own phone as a customer would, once for collection and once for delivery.
• Accept it in the kitchen app with a prep time, and check that the customer is told.
• Check that prices, options and allergen notes display correctly.
• Place a card order if you have switched card payments on, and check where it appears.
• Keep a charged tablet or phone in the kitchen, and a plan for what happens if it goes offline.

What Chefzi costs

Chefzi is £12 a month on Starter (£9 billed annually), £22 on Plus (£19) and £49 on Pro (£39), per location, excluding VAT, with the first month free, no credit card to start, and 0% commission. Starter takes cash orders; card payments start on Plus. The branded Android app and the browser till are on Pro. Full detail on pricing. To compare providers first, see food ordering systems for UK restaurants compared.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Food business registration (Food Standards Agency): https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-business-registration (read 12 Nov 2026)
• Food Standards Agency, Food Hygiene Rating Scheme guidance for businesses: https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/food-hygiene-ratings-for-businesses (read 12 Nov 2026)
• Food Standards Agency, Introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS food: https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/introduction-to-allergen-labelling-changes-ppds (read 12 Nov 2026)
• Food Standards Agency, Allergen guidance for food businesses: https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses (read 12 Nov 2026)
• Chefzi pricing: https://chefzi.co.uk/pricing (read 12 Nov 2026)