DirectOrders features, updates, and how to get the most from the platform.
DirectOrders is built to do one thing well: give restaurants a direct ordering channel they fully control. This section covers how the platform works, from initial setup to advanced features like Voice AI phone ordering, POS integrations, and multi-channel distribution across 15+ ordering surfaces. Each article is a practical guide, not a feature announcement. You will learn how to integrate online ordering into your existing website, configure kitchen printer routing, set up loyalty automations, and optimize your digital menu for higher conversion. Whether you are evaluating DirectOrders or already using it, these guides help you get the most from every feature and ensure your direct ordering channel outperforms marketplace alternatives.
How AI phone agents handle calls, take orders, answer menu questions, and capture customer data 24/7.
Reach customers across Google, Instagram, SMS, WhatsApp, Apple Maps, smart speakers, and your own website from one platform.
Connect DirectOrders with Toast, Square, Clover, and other POS systems to keep your kitchen workflow unchanged.
Build a branded, SEO-optimized ordering website with your menu, photos, and customization options.
Offer delivery through your own drivers, Uber Direct, or DoorDash Drive without building fleet infrastructure.
New to this topic? Follow this reading path for the best foundation.
Train staff to take phone orders well, and know when to hand the phone to a system.
Exact click paths for the order buttons on Google, Instagram, and Facebook.
Which POS systems connect to online ordering, and how to test the connection before launch.
Route every order to the right station and stop lost, wrong, and duplicate tickets.
Every layer of a restaurant tech stack, what it costs, and what to cancel first.
AI answers
Compare the 5 types of restaurant phone ordering systems by cost, coverage, and data ownership, then pick the right one with a missed-call cost model.
Pankaj Avhad
All 12 POS systems we checked accept partner online orders, but only Square opens its API to any developer. See the 2027 chart of APIs, approvals, and fees.
Pankaj Avhad
“The biggest mistake restaurants make with online ordering is treating it as a bolt-on. Your digital ordering channel should be as intentional as your dining room layout: every menu item positioned, every upsell configured, every confirmation message branded.”
— Pankaj Avhad, Founder of DirectOrders
A complete restaurant online ordering system should include: a branded ordering website (not a marketplace listing), menu management with photos and modifiers, real-time order notifications, POS integration to avoid double-entry, delivery orchestration (own drivers or third-party couriers like Uber Direct), payment processing, customer database with contact information, loyalty and rewards tools, SMS and email marketing, Voice AI for phone orders, Google Business Profile integration, and analytics. The system should charge a flat fee rather than per-order commissions, and the restaurant should own all customer data. Avoid platforms that hold your customer information hostage or require long-term contracts.
Voice AI ordering uses an AI-powered phone agent that answers your restaurant's phone line, understands natural language, and takes orders conversationally. When a customer calls, the AI greets them, presents menu options, handles modifications (no onions, extra cheese, gluten-free requests), processes payment, and sends the order to your kitchen, all without a human staff member. The AI knows your full menu, can answer questions about ingredients and allergens, suggests upsells, and operates 24/7 including during rush hours when staff cannot answer phones. DirectOrders' Voice AI captures every call as a potential order, eliminating the estimated 30% of restaurant phone calls that go unanswered during peak times.
Setup time depends on the platform. Marketplace apps like DoorDash can go live in 1-3 days but require you to pay 15-30% commissions. Direct ordering platforms vary: some take 2-4 weeks for custom website builds, while platforms like DirectOrders can have restaurants live within hours using their website builder and menu import tools. The typical setup process involves: uploading your menu with photos and modifiers (1-2 hours), configuring delivery zones and fees (30 minutes), connecting payment processing (15 minutes), and customizing your ordering page with branding (1 hour). POS integration and advanced features like Voice AI may take an additional day to configure and test.
See how DirectOrders can help your restaurant keep more revenue and own your customer relationships.