The Problem: Death by a Thousand Cuts
When VietHawaii came to us, they were bleeding money in ways they didn't even realize.
The Visible Problems:
- 2+ hours/day on phone orders
- Constant order errors
- Maxed out on phone capacity
- Losing to competitors with online ordering
The Hidden Problems (the real killers):
- DoorDash taking 30% of every order
- Uber Eats taking 30% of every order
- No customer data (platforms own it)
- No way to market to past customers
- Reputation controlled by algorithms
Let me show you how insane the math was:
Monthly online orders (via apps): 600
Average order value: $35
Monthly revenue: $21,000
Platform fees (30%): $6,300
They were paying $6,300/MONTH just for someone else to process their orders.
That's $75,600/year. Gone. To companies that don't care if they succeed or fail.
The Solution: Own Your Customers
We built VietHawaii a custom ordering system. Their own. Forever.
For Customers:
- Full menu with photos
- Easy customization
- Save favorite orders
- Real-time status updates
- Scheduled ordering
For the Restaurant:
- Orders print directly to kitchen
- Zero phone time
- Complete order accuracy
- Full customer database
- Marketing capabilities
The Investment:
- Custom system: $18,000
- Monthly costs: $20 hosting + 2.9% payment processing
- No subscription fees. No commission. They own it.
The Results: 300% Revenue Increase
Online Order Volume
Before: 15-20 orders/day via third-party apps
After: 60-80 orders/day via their own system
That's a 300% increase in online order volume.
Same food. Same location. Same staff. Just removed the friction and kept the profits.
Phone Time Eliminated
Before: 2+ hours/day taking phone orders
After: 10-15 minutes/day for edge cases
That's 1.75 hours/day × $15/hour × 365 days = $9,581/year in labor savings
Plus: Staff now focused on food quality and customer experience instead of answering phones.
Platform Fees Eliminated
Before: $6,300/month to DoorDash/Uber Eats
After: ~$600/month in payment processing (2.9%)
Monthly savings: $5,700
Annual savings: $68,400
The system paid for itself in less than 4 months just on fee savings.
Order Accuracy
Before: 5-10 wrong orders per week (phone miscommunication)
After: Zero wrong orders
Each wrong order costs ~$15 in remakes + angry customers.
That's $3,900-7,800/year in hidden costs. Eliminated.
The Real Numbers: Total Impact
Monthly Revenue Before: $15,000
Monthly Revenue After: $45,000
Monthly Costs Before: $6,300 (platform fees) + $1,500 (labor on phones)
Monthly Costs After: $600 (processing) + minimal labor
Monthly Profit Increase: ~$36,000
Investment: $18,000
Payback Period: 15 days (yes, days)
The 5 Features That Made the Difference
1. Mobile-First Design
85% of orders came from phones. We designed for thumbs, not mice. Big buttons. Easy scrolling. Zero friction.
2. One-Page Checkout
Name. Phone. Payment. Done.
No account creation required. No endless forms. Under 60 seconds from menu to confirmed order.
3. Kitchen Integration
Orders appear on a kitchen display. Clear formatting. Station routing. No ticket confusion.
4. SMS Updates
"Order received" → "Being prepared" → "Ready for pickup"
Customers know exactly when to arrive. No crowded lobby. No "is my order ready?" calls.
5. Repeat Order Button
"Order Again" shows your last 5 orders. One tap to reorder your usual.
60% of their orders are now repeat customers using this feature.
The Owner's Take
"I was paying DoorDash $6,300 every month for the privilege of having them own my customers. Now I keep that money, I own my customer data, and I'm doing 3x the volume. The system paid for itself before I even finished paying for it."
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— Minh Nguyen, Owner, VietHawaii
Why This Matters for YOUR Business
VietHawaii isn't special. They're a local restaurant doing good food with limited resources.
What made the difference:
- Eliminating platform fees (you're paying 30% for what?)
- Owning customer relationships (your data, your marketing)
- Removing friction (every click costs customers)
- Automation (phones don't scale, systems do)
This works for:
- Restaurants
- Service businesses
- Retail
- Anyone giving 30% to middlemen
The Question You Should Be Asking
How much are you paying in:
- Platform commissions?
- Phone labor?
- Order errors?
- Lost customers due to friction?
Add it up. I bet it's more than $18,000/year.
Which means a custom system pays for itself in Year One and prints money every year after.
Let's run the numbers for YOUR business.
I'll calculate exactly what you're losing, exactly what a system would cost, and exactly when you'd break even.
If it doesn't make sense, I'll tell you. But I've never had it not make sense for a business doing 50+ orders per day.
The question isn't whether you can afford to do this.
It's whether you can afford not to.