You're paying $99/month for your restaurant website, but do you actually own it? Most don't. Learn how to check if you own your domain, SEO, and customer data, and why platform lock-in costs more than you think.
You're a restaurant owner. You're paying $99/month for your "website." You can update your menu, post photos, take online orders. It looks professional. Customers can find you online. Everything seems fine.
Until you try to leave.
That's when you discover the truth: you don't actually own your website. You're renting a subdomain on someone else's platform. All the SEO you've been building? It belongs to them. All the customer data from your online orders? They own it. That Google ranking you worked so hard for? It's tied to their domain, not yours.
You've been paying $99/month for years. Let's say three years, that's $3,564, and you have nothing to show for it. No asset. No equity. No ownership. Just a monthly bill and the sinking realization that if you stop paying, you lose everything.
This is how restaurant owners get locked in without realizing it.
It's not technically illegal. The terms of service probably spelled it all out in the fine print you didn't read. But it's predatory as hell, and it's happening to thousands of restaurant owners who think they're investing in their business when they're really just making someone else rich.
Let's break down exactly what you're losing, why it matters, and what you should do instead.
The Setup: How the Trap Works
Here's how these platforms operate:
Step 1: The Pitch
A sales rep calls you. "We specialize in restaurant websites! We'll get you online in 48 hours. Only $99/month, no setup fees. You can update your menu anytime, take online orders, integrate with delivery apps. Easy!"
It sounds perfect. You don't have time to deal with web developers. You just need something simple that works.
Step 2: The "Website"
They set you up on a subdomain: yourrestaurant.theirplatform.com or sometimes they'll use a custom domain that looks like it's yours, but it's actually just masked. The real site still lives on their infrastructure, under their control.
You get a dashboard. You can upload photos, update your menu, manage orders. It works. Customers can find you.
Step 3: The Lock-In
Months go by. Years go by. You're paying every month. Your restaurant shows up on Google. You're getting online orders. Everything seems fine.
Then one day, you decide you want to switch. Maybe their platform is clunky. Maybe you found a better option. Maybe you want a real website with more control.
That's when you realize: you can't take anything with you.
Your domain? They own it (or it's a subdomain you never owned).
Your SEO rankings? Tied to their domain.
Your customer emails and order history? Locked in their system.
Your reviews and content? Stays on their platform.
You've been building their asset, not yours.
What You're Actually Losing
Let's get specific about what this setup is costing you:
1. You Don't Own the SEO (And That's the Biggest Loss)
When customers search for "Italian restaurant near me" or "best pizza in [your city]," your site might show up. Great, right?
Wrong.
If your website is yourrestaurant.theirplatform.com, every bit of SEO value you generate is building their domain authority, not yours. Every backlink, every Google ranking, every piece of content belongs to them.
Here's what that means in practice:
When someone links to your site (a local blog, a review site, a news article), that backlink is pointing to theirplatform.com. Google sees that and gives them the SEO juice, not you.
When you rank for keywords, it's because Google trusts theirplatform.com, not because you've built authority for your own brand.
If you ever leave the platform, you lose all of that. You're starting from zero. Your new website has no SEO history, no backlinks, no domain authority. You've been paying for years to build someone else's search rankings.
The real cost:
SEO takes time to build. If you've been on their platform for 3 years, you've lost 3 years of SEO equity. Starting over means it could take another 6-12 months to get back to where you were, if you even can.
And during that time? Your competitors who own their domains are outranking you.
2. You Don't Own Your Customer Data (And That's Killing Your Marketing)
Every time someone places an online order, you're collecting valuable data:
Email addresses
Order history
Preferences
Frequency (are they weekly regulars or one-time visitors?)
This data is gold. It's how you build a marketing strategy. It's how you send targeted promotions, loyalty rewards, special event invitations.
But if you're on a third-party platform, you probably don't have access to it.
Some platforms let you export a basic email list. Most don't. And even if they do, you're not getting the full picture. Order history, preferences, behavior patterns? That stays locked in their system.
Here's why that matters:
Let's say you want to run a promotion: "Come back this week and get 20% off your favorite dish."
If you own your customer data, you can send targeted emails to people who haven't ordered in a month, or offer a discount on the specific items they usually order. That's effective marketing.
If you don't own the data, you're stuck with generic blasts (if you can send emails at all) or relying on the platform's limited tools.
The real cost:
Without direct access to your customer data, you can't build lasting relationships or run effective marketing campaigns. You're dependent on the platform's tools and limitations.
3. You're Paying Forever with Nothing to Show for It
Let's do the math:
$99/month x 36 months = $3,564
$149/month x 36 months = $5,364
That's what you've paid over three years. And what do you own at the end of it?
Nothing.
You don't own the domain. You don't own the content. You don't own the SEO. You don't own the customer data.
If you stop paying, it all disappears.
Compare that to investing in a real website:
One-time build: $3,000-$8,000 (depending on complexity)
Hosting: $20-50/month
Maintenance: $50-150/month (optional, for updates and support)
Over three years:
Platform: $3,564+ with zero ownership
Real website: $3,000-$8,000 upfront + $2,520-$7,200 in hosting/maintenance = $5,520-$15,200 total, but you own it
Yes, the real website costs more upfront. But after three years, you have an asset. You own the domain, the SEO, the customer data. If you want to switch developers or hosting, you can. You're not locked in.
The platform model is cheaper monthly, but more expensive long-term. And you're left with nothing.
The Hidden Costs You're Not Seeing
Beyond the obvious losses, here are the sneaky ways these platforms cost you more:
They Take a Cut of Your Orders
Many of these platforms charge a percentage of online orders on top of the monthly fee. It's usually buried in the terms, but it's there. Anywhere from 3-10% per transaction.
So you're paying $99/month and giving them a cut of every sale. Over a year, that adds up fast.
They Control Your Online Presence
Want to change your site layout? Add a feature? Integrate with a new tool? You can't. You're stuck with whatever their platform offers.
If their design looks dated or their checkout process is clunky, tough luck. You don't control it.
You're Competing with Their Other Clients
If you're on yourrestaurant.theirplatform.com, guess who else is on that same platform? Your competitors.
When Google crawls that domain, it's seeing hundreds or thousands of restaurant sites all on the same platform. You're not standing out. You're just another subdomain in their network.
If They Go Out of Business, You're Screwed
What happens if the platform shuts down or gets acquired? Your site disappears. Your SEO vanishes. Your customer data is gone.
You have no backup, no ownership, no recourse.
How to Tell If You're in This Situation
Not sure if you actually own your website? Here's how to check:
1. Look at your URL
If your website is yourrestaurant.somethingelse.com, you don't own it. That's a subdomain.
Even if it's yourrestaurant.com, check who owns the domain. Go to a domain lookup tool (like WHOIS) and search your domain. If the registrant is the platform company, not you or your business, you don't own it.
2. Check your dashboard
Can you export your full customer database (emails, order history, preferences)? Or are you limited to basic reports?
If you can't export everything, you don't own the data.
3. Ask about portability
Contact your platform and ask: "If I cancel, can I take my website, content, and customer data with me?"
If the answer is anything other than "yes, here's how," you're locked in.
4. Look at your contract
Who owns the content? Who owns the domain? What happens if you cancel?
If the contract says they retain ownership of anything, you're renting, not owning.
What You Should Do Instead
If you're serious about building a business (not just renting a presence), here's what you need:
1. Own Your Domain
Buy your own domain (yourrestaurant.com) and register it in your name, not your developer's or platform's.
This costs $10-15/year. It's the foundation of everything.
2. Build a Real Website (And Integrate the Tools You Already Use)
Invest in a website that you own. This means custom development built specifically for your business. Not a template, not a plugin-heavy platform that'll slow down and break over time.
A properly built custom site typically runs $3,000-$8,000 for a restaurant, depending on features (online ordering, reservations, etc.).
The key: you own the code, the content, and the hosting. No platform fees. No limitations. No lock-in.
But here's where it gets even better: when you own your website, you can integrate directly with the tools you're already using.
POS Integration (Square, Clover, Toast, etc.):
If you're using a POS system like Square or Clover, your custom website can integrate directly with it via API. That means:
Orders placed on your site sync automatically with your POS
Inventory updates in real-time
No double-entry, no manual updates
One system managing everything
Most third-party restaurant platforms either don't offer POS integration, or they charge extra for it. When you own your site, you control the integrations.
Delivery App APIs (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub):
Here's something most restaurant owners don't know: when you own your website, you can integrate directly with delivery app APIs to manage fulfillment more efficiently.
Instead of relying solely on customers ordering through third-party apps (where you compete with every other restaurant and lose control of the customer relationship), you can:
Accept orders directly through your website
Use delivery apps just for fulfillment (they handle the delivery logistics)
Pay a flat per-delivery fee based on distance instead of high commission percentages
Keep full control of your customer data and relationships
Here's the cost difference:
Traditional model (ordering through the app):
Customer orders through a third-party app
App takes a commission (typically 15-30%)
You lose customer data and relationship
API integration model (ordering through your site):
Customer orders through your website
You pay a delivery fee based on distance (typically $5-8)
You keep the customer data and can market to them directly
How to handle the delivery fee:
I've built this setup for restaurant clients, and they handle the delivery cost in different ways depending on their business model.
For example, Empanada Mania in Bergenfield, NJ is a client of mine who uses this exact system. Custom website with POS integration and delivery API control. They're able to manage their own orders, keep customer data, and control delivery costs.
Different strategies I've seen restaurants use:
Absorb the entire cost: Some owners eat the full delivery fee to stay competitive and keep pricing simple
Pass it to the customer: Others add a flat delivery fee at checkout (usually $3-6)
Split the difference: Some absorb half and charge the customer half
Minimum order thresholds: Many offer free delivery on orders above a certain amount and charge a small fee below that
The key: you control the strategy. You decide how to handle costs based on what works for your business.
The bottom line:
When you own your website, you control the integrations, the costs, and the customer experience. Third-party website platforms lock you into their ecosystem. A custom site lets you build your own.
3. Own Your Customer Data
Use tools that let you collect and export customer data. Whether that's a simple email list or a full CRM, make sure you have access to it.
This is how you build a direct relationship with your customers and create effective marketing campaigns.
4. Invest in SEO That You Own
Every blog post, every review, every backlink should be building your domain authority, not someone else's.
This takes time, but it's an asset that grows in value. The platform model gives you none of that.
For more on why SEO matters and how to approach it, check out Why SEO is the Secret Ingredient to Your Website's Success.
What If You're Already Locked In?
If you're already on one of these platforms, here's how to get out:
Step 1: Buy your own domain (if you don't already own it)
Even if you can't move your site immediately, secure your domain now. If your current URL is a subdomain, register the real yourrestaurant.com and start fresh.
Step 2: Export whatever data you can
Get your customer emails, order history, menu content, photos. Anything they'll let you take. Even if it's incomplete, it's better than nothing.
Step 3: Build your real website
Work with a developer to build a site you actually own. Yes, it's an upfront cost. But it's an investment, not a perpetual expense.
Step 4: Set up 301 redirects (if possible)
If you're moving from a subdomain or a domain they control, try to set up redirects to your new site. This preserves some SEO value. Many platforms won't allow this, but it's worth asking.
Step 5: Notify your customers
Send an email (if you have access to your list) letting customers know about your new website. Update your Google Business Profile, social media, and anywhere else your old URL is listed.
Step 6: Cancel the platform
Once your new site is live and you've migrated everything you can, cancel. Don't keep paying for something you don't own.
The Bottom Line
If you're paying monthly for a website and you don't own the domain, the SEO, or the customer data, you're not investing in your business. You're renting someone else's infrastructure and hoping they don't raise prices or shut down.
Restaurants operate on thin margins. Every dollar matters. Spending $99-$149/month on a platform that builds zero equity is a waste.
Yes, a real website costs more upfront. But it's an asset. It's something you own. It grows in value over time. And when you're ready to sell your restaurant or expand, that digital equity actually matters.
Plus, when you own your site, you can integrate with your POS, control your costs, and build direct relationships with your customers instead of being locked into someone else's system.
Stop renting. Start owning.
Ready to own your restaurant's online presence instead of renting it? Let's talk about building something that actually belongs to you. Domain, SEO, customer data, and all.