Kiwis Want to Order From You Directly. Is It Easy Enough?
There is a common belief in hospitality that customers live inside the delivery apps. The New Zealand numbers tell a different story.
How do New Zealanders prefer to order takeaway?
Most Kiwis would rather order takeaway straight from the venue. The Restaurant Association’s 2025 Consumer Dining Insights report, covered by the NZ Herald, found that 40% of respondents prefer to order takeaway through a venue’s own website or app. Another 27% prefer to phone or text. Third-party apps made up just 14% of takeaway orders.
| How respondents prefer to order takeaway | Share of respondents |
|---|---|
| Through the venue’s own website or app | 40% |
| By phone or text | 27% |
In other words, most Kiwis already want to order from you. The question is whether you make that easy.
Your phone is still an ordering channel
That 27% is worth a closer look. A phone order ties up a staff member at the busiest time of day. Orders get misheard, and nobody has paid yet.
Some of those customers simply like to ring, and that is fine. But many phone because it is the easiest way to deal with you directly. Give them a simple way to order online with you and some of those calls will move.
When an order comes in online, it arrives written down and paid for. It also comes with a pickup time your kitchen can plan around.
How do younger diners prefer to order?
Younger diners are more open to ordering on their phones. The same report found half of under-25s prefer third-party apps. A Hospitality Business piece on the findings notes that nearly half of diners aged 18 to 35 were neutral or positive about QR code menus. Diners aged 46 and over were much more negative.
Overseas numbers point the same way. The US National Restaurant Association reported in April 2025 that 74% of millennials and 65% of Gen Z adults had recently used mobile ordering, while older adults still prefer to order in person.
The takeaway for your venue: younger customers expect to order on their phone. If your own channel is clunky, the apps will win that order by default.
Should you replace table service with QR ordering?
No. Kiwi diners still value people at the table. The Restaurant Association’s own summary of the report says diners “continue to prefer traditional service when dining in.” So we do not think you should swap your floor staff for QR codes. We think you should offer the choice.
Across the Tasman, Tyro’s 2026 Eat Pay Love report found more than a third of Australians use QR codes to avoid awkward money conversations with friends. That is a real reason to scan, and it has nothing to do with replacing service. (Tyro is a payments provider, so treat its survey as vendor research.)
A guest who wants another round without waving down a busy server can order from the table. A guest who wants to chat with your team still can.
How Appropo helps
Click & Collect lets customers browse your menu, prepay and pick a collection time. Depending on your settings, they can order up to seven days ahead, even when you are closed. With a POS integration, a docket prints with the customer’s name and pickup time.
Order at Table lets guests scan a QR code, order and pay from their seat. The right table is selected for them, and you can run a separate menu if you need one.
Both run under your own brand, so the customer stays yours. Add loyalty and your regulars have a reason to keep ordering direct. For more on that side, read our guide to knowing who your regulars are.
Where to start
Look at how your takeaway orders arrive today. If the phone rings through every lunch rush, put a link to your online ordering page everywhere your customers already look for you. If the queue at your counter is the problem, see whether a self-service kiosk suits your venue.
Get in touch and we will help you set it up for your venue.