Krystine 
This guide covers the main types of food ordering system, what each costs you, and how to stop them turning your counter into a wall of tablets.
What is a food ordering system?
A food ordering system is any tool that lets customers place orders and sends them to the kitchen. It usually connects to your POS so the order, payment and sales record stay together.
This guide is about customer-facing channels. For how staff should enter orders, with course timing and holds, see getting restaurant order entry right.
The five main types of food ordering system
1. Counter ordering
The customer orders with a cashier, who keys it into the POS. It’s simple and personal, but every order needs a staff member, which caps speed at peak hour.
2. Table QR ordering
Diners scan a QR code on the table, order from their phone and pay there. Orders go straight to the kitchen. It shortens queues and reduces mistakes from misheard orders. EPOS reports that optimised QR menus lift order value by up to 43%. Not every “QR ordering” setup does the same job; see QR code ordering vs scan-to-order.
3. Self-service kiosks
A touchscreen at the entrance where customers order and pay. Kiosks suit high-volume quick-service outlets. They need floor space and an upfront hardware budget, unlike QR ordering, where customers bring their own screens.
4. Your own online store
A branded ordering page customers reach from Instagram, WhatsApp or Google. You keep the full order value instead of paying a marketplace commission. The trade-off is that you bring the traffic yourself. Read online ordering without delivery app fees for setup tips.
5. Delivery platforms
GrabFood, Foodpanda and ShopeeFood bring customers you wouldn’t otherwise reach. Each platform sets its own commission. The cost to you is the commission plus the effort of watching each platform’s tablet. For what connecting them involves, see online delivery software for F&B.
Food ordering channels compared
| Channel | Who places the order | Best for | Cost to watch |
| Counter | Staff | Small cafes, takeaway counters | Staff time at peak hour |
| Table QR ordering | Diner, on their phone | Dine-in cafes, kopitiams, food courts | QR menu setup and table codes |
| Self-service kiosk | Customer, on a kiosk | High-volume quick service | Hardware and floor space |
| Own online store | Customer, online | Regulars, pickup and local delivery | Bringing your own traffic |
| Delivery platforms | Customer, in the app | Reaching new customers | Platform commission per order |
Why your channels need to meet in one place
Most restaurants add channels one at a time: a counter POS, then a GrabFood tablet, then a Foodpanda tablet, then a QR menu. Each one works alone. Together they mean re-keying orders, missed delivery tickets and end-of-day totals that don’t match.
A food ordering system tied to your POS puts every order on one screen and one kitchen queue. A kitchen display system then shows the kitchen counter, table and delivery orders together, in the order they came in.
Which food ordering system fits your restaurant?
-
Hawker stall or food court stall: counter ordering plus a QR payment device. Add delivery when demand is there.
-
Cafe or kopitiam: counter plus table QR ordering to handle the breakfast and lunch rush without extra staff.
-
Full-service restaurant: table QR ordering, a kitchen display and delivery platforms on one screen.
-
Cloud kitchen: delivery platforms first, plus your own online store to keep margin on repeat orders. See POS for cloud kitchens.
Still deciding on hardware? Our guide to the types of POS systems explains the device options.
How to set up a food ordering system
-
Build your menu once, with modifiers like less sugar, add egg or no ice, and use it across every channel.
-
Print a QR code for each table so orders arrive with the table number attached.
-
Turn on the payment methods your customers use: DuitNow QR, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, cards.
-
Put your online store link in your Instagram bio, WhatsApp Business profile and Google listing.
-
Connect your delivery accounts so their orders land in the same queue.
-
Test it during a real rush before you rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a food ordering system? A tool that lets customers place food orders, by counter, QR code, kiosk, online store or delivery app, and sends them to the kitchen.
What is the difference between online ordering software and a delivery app? Online ordering software gives you your own store, so you keep the customer and pay no marketplace commission. A delivery app brings new customers but takes a commission on each order.
Do I need a kiosk for self-ordering? No. Table QR ordering lets diners order on their own phones, with no kiosk hardware.
Can one system handle GrabFood, Foodpanda and ShopeeFood? Yes, if your POS integrates them. EPOS360 shows all three on one screen alongside your own online store.
Does using EPOS360 change delivery platform fees? No. EPOS360 adds no extra delivery fee, but each platform’s own fees still apply.
Run every order from one screen
EPOS360 puts counter, scan-to-order, your online store and GrabFood, Foodpanda and ShopeeFood orders on one device. The online store is set up from the moment you onboard, with no platform fees. See plans and start a free trial.
Malaysia
Global
Singapore