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Restaurants in the UK have undergone significant changes in recent years. From evolving diner expectations to new technologies, the industry is reinventing itself at a rapid pace. One development that’s here to stay is Click & Collect. This approach allows your customers to order online (or via a mobile interface), then pick up their meal in person—often without even leaving their car. It provides a convenient, flexible option for diners, while giving your restaurant an extra revenue stream that doesn’t strain your dining room capacity.
According to a recent report from The Caterer, consumer appetite for quick, contactless ways to get their meals has accelerated, with more than half of UK diners stating they appreciate click & collect for its convenience. Such a setup can also bolster your brand by reaching new audiences—busy professionals, local residents wanting an easy dinner solution, or even travellers passing through your neighbourhood. But how do you start if you’ve never offered a pick-up service before? Let’s break it down into manageable steps.
Before plunging into a new distribution channel, ask yourself a few key questions. Are you regularly at full capacity during peak hours? If so, will your kitchen be able to handle orders for pick-up alongside in-house dining? What about packaging? Will you need more space to stage and prepare the take-out boxes? Taking a snapshot of your current workflow and constraints prevents painful surprises later.
Kitchen capabilities: Evaluate your cooking equipment, storage, and staff experience. You may need to introduce new scheduling patterns to ensure your brigade can prepare click & collect orders quickly.
Staffing changes: Are you short-staffed on certain days or shifts? Assign at least one person to oversee pick-up orders—a coordinator who ensures everything’s properly packaged, labelled, and set out for easy handover.
Physical space: If you operate a cosy bistro with minimal front-of-house space, consider how and where you’ll store prepared orders waiting for pick-up. Alternatively, if you have an extra hallway or an unused corner, this can become a mini staging area.
Going through a readiness audit might feel like an extra hurdle, but it’s crucial for long-term success. If you’re already swamped in the kitchen, you might start small—maybe limit your click & collect offerings to a subset of the menu—to gauge how it works in practice.
Not every dish travels well. That delicate soufflé or super-fresh sashimi might be best enjoyed on-site. Meanwhile, items like burgers, curries, or heartier salads can handle a short car journey without losing their appeal. Choosing the right menu for pick-up orders helps avoid disappointed customers and subpar online reviews. You can always expand your offerings later, once you’ve tested the waters.
If your menu is large, starting with a curated “click & collect favourites” section can be an excellent way to ensure consistent quality. Later, you can add daily specials, seasonal items, or new experiments based on customer feedback.
You’ll want an easy, frictionless way for diners to place orders—otherwise, they might revert to other restaurants offering simpler processes. Many restaurants build a section on their existing website, while others adopt dedicated ordering platforms. Regardless of approach, aim for a system that’s intuitive and visually appealing, so customers instantly see what’s available.
Key features to prioritise:
If you’re worried about setting up a website from scratch, there are lightweight solutions or e-commerce plugins that integrate quickly. In some cases, you can also add an ordering link directly from your social media profiles, funnelling hungry fans straight to your pick-up menu.
Because customers pay online or via a mobile link, you won’t use a standard card machine at the time of collection—unless you want to offer the option for those who prefer to pay on arrival. But keep in mind that queueing up for a card machine at pick-up can defeat the efficiency benefit of click & collect.
Ultimately, the less friction your payment experience has, the more likely customers are to return. A clunky checkout might lead them to switch to a competitor that’s just one browser tab away.
Your customers expect convenience, so if you quote a 15-minute pickup time, aim to have the order ready by then. Running behind regularly can tarnish your reputation, especially if diners are pressed for time. On the flip side, you don’t want completed meals sitting around getting cold for half an hour while customers are stuck in traffic.
Practical tips:
You might also factor in your busiest table service hours. If you already hit maximum capacity at 7:00 PM, offering a wide open schedule for click & collect at the same time could stress your kitchen. Finding a balance ensures neither side—dine-in nor pick-up—suffers.
Pick-up customers might not be dining in, but they still crave a restaurant-quality experience. Attractive, sturdy packaging preserves the texture and temperature of your dishes, reflecting positively on your brand. While fully compostable boxes can be pricier, they appeal to environmentally conscious diners and reinforce a positive image of your restaurant.
Don’t underestimate the impact of opening that container at home. A neat, well-organised meal signals quality and care, leaving customers more likely to return or recommend you to friends.
It doesn’t matter how perfect your click & collect system is if nobody knows about it. Launch a mini marketing blitz to spread the word. Make sure your website, Google listing, and social media profiles all prominently highlight the service. If you have an email database from loyalty programmes or prior reservations, send out a friendly announcement. Include details about menu highlights, simple ordering instructions, and special pick-up deals if applicable.
Ideas to get the word out:
Once the initial excitement wears off, keep promoting with rotating specials or seasonal items, encouraging loyal customers to try pick-up next time they’re short on time.
We all learn from experience. Encourage your pick-up customers to share quick feedback—maybe through a short email survey or a prompt in the digital receipt. If they spot bottlenecks, missing items, or packaging issues, this early feedback helps you refine the process swiftly, preventing further mishaps.
People appreciate feeling heard. If you respond graciously and take quick action, even frustrated customers can turn into long-term fans who rave about your restaurant’s dedication to improving.
Once your click & collect concept is ready to go, you’ll want a fast, user-friendly way to handle orders and payments. That’s where sunday fits in naturally. Known for letting guests scan a QR code to view menus, order, and pay directly from their phone, Sunday can also streamline pick-up orders. Customers can browse your special “Click & Collect” list, pay securely, and even leave a tip or a Google review in one convenient flow.
Because Sunday is designed to integrate with modern restaurant workflows, you won’t need a complicated new setup. The user-friendly interface helps novices breeze through ordering, and your team sees new orders instantly, preparing them in time for a smooth pick-up experience. It’s a practical route to offering advanced services without burying yourself in extra admin or tech complexity.
Launching click & collect can feel like a significant leap, but it needn’t be daunting. By breaking down the steps—from assessing your operational capacity and crafting a pick-up-friendly menu, to ensuring payment convenience and marketing the new service—you’ll create a robust offering that meets modern customer expectations.
As you refine each aspect—adjusting staff roles, perfecting packaging, tweaking your order platform—you’ll likely discover new revenue opportunities. Some owners find that a successful click & collect system even introduces them to a fresh demographic: busy families, late-shift workers, or loyal fans who prefer to dine at home but still appreciate a restaurant-quality meal.
Click & collect isn’t a fad; it’s a proven channel for growth and brand extension. By handling it thoughtfully—staying open to feedback, smoothing out logistical wrinkles, and leveraging the right digital tools—you can transform your restaurant into a multi-faceted dining destination. And as diners continue to crave convenience, the restaurants that adapt early often see the biggest benefits. If you’re ready, pick one small step—like drafting a streamlined menu or exploring an online ordering platform—and watch as your pick-up service begins to thrive.
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