GloriaFood alternative checklist for restaurants

Do not only ask “what replaces GloriaFood?”

Ask “what model do we want after GloriaFood?” The wrong replacement locks you into marketplace economics just as you escape a shutdown.

Use this checklist while you demo tools.

Must-haves for most independents

1. Your own ordering link

Guests should land on a page that looks like your restaurant, not a multi-restaurant feed.

2. Zero commission on orders

If the pitch is “free” but recovery happens per order, model the annual cost. Compare with this calculator.

3. Delivery, collection and dine-in

One menu admin, separate availability if you need it.

4. Website / QR path

You need a button and a printable code. Widgets help if you already have a site.

5. Reservations in the same place (if you book tables)

Splitting takeaway and bookings across two vendors is how Friday nights get messy.

6. Honest monthly price

Orderzest is €10/month after trial. If another tool is “free,” find the catch.

7. Migration help

Someone should rebuild your GloriaFood menu or give you a clear import path. We do menu rebuilds free — details on the GloriaFood alternative page.

8. Data you can export later

Do not repeat the GloriaFood lesson. Prefer tools that let you leave with your menu and history.

Nice-to-haves

Map-drawn delivery zones
Automatic guest confirmations and reminders
Multi-branch support when you grow
Support that answers email from humans

Red flags

Ranking you next to competitors by default
Long contracts to “get the free tier”
No clear retirement or export story
Per-cover reservation fees you cannot turn off

Suggested decision path this week

Export GloriaFood data (shutdown guide)
Score two tools with this checklist
Run a trial order and a trial booking
Update one public link (Instagram bio) as a soft launch
Finish the rest of the link list once stable

Where Orderzest fits

Orderzest is aimed at restaurants that want GloriaFood’s “own link” idea without the retirement cliff — plus reservations, zones and widgets for a flat fee. Start on pricing or register free.

Extra operational notes restaurants ask about

Staff adoption matters more than feature lists. Pick one person to own the new link for the first two weeks: they check that tickets arrive, that printers or phone alerts work, and that delivery drivers still understand the address format. A quiet Tuesday is a better cutover day than Saturday brunch.

Write a three-line guest message you can reuse on Instagram Stories, WhatsApp broadcasts and email: what changed, what stayed the same (your food), and the new link. Guests forgive a software change when the message is clear and the food is familiar.

If you run more than one branch, migrate one location first. Prove the kitchen flow, then clone hours, zones and menus. Trying to flip every branch on the same afternoon creates support noise you do not need during service.

Keep a short rollback plan for seventy-two hours: old link still live but unpromoted, new link in every bio, one manager with authority to pause online ordering if the POS or printer misbehaves. After three clean services, remove the old buttons.

Finally, measure the right thing. Track orders on your own link weekly, marketplace commission paid monthly, and no-show rate on reservations. Those three numbers tell you whether the switch is working faster than any vanity dashboard.

For Orderzest specifically, use the free trial to place real test tickets, then subscribe only when the floor team is comfortable. Migration help and pricing are on the site; the goal is a boringly reliable Friday night, not another complicated vendor relationship.

A second-week checklist

Confirm every public QR code resolves to the new page
Remove outdated “Order with …” buttons from the website footer
Train one backup person on refunds and cancelled bookings
Screenshot your delivery zone map for the records
Add the ordering link to Google Business Profile if you have not already
Ask three regulars to place a real order and reply with friction notes
Schedule a thirty-minute review after fourteen days of live traffic

None of this is glamorous. It is how restaurants keep weekends calm while the industry toolscape keeps changing.