Plein 10 in Leiden receives 80% of orders through its own website

Receiving more orders via your own website, being less dependent on external platforms, and yet staying close to the customer. For many hospitality entrepreneurs, this sounds logical, but in practice, it requires more than just an order button on the website. At Plein 10 in Leiden, entrepreneur Ron demonstrates how it can be done. Currently, approximately 80 percent of orders come in via their own website. Take-Awy has thus been reduced to circa 20 percent.

That result is not the product of a single isolated action. It is the consequence of years of building quality, local visibility, customer loyalty, and a way of working in which the entrepreneur remains in control.

From the work floor to entrepreneurship

Ron grew up in the hospitality industry. At fifteen, he started in the dishwashing area; from the age of eighteen, he worked full-time and spent years working in his father’s business. Later, he was given the opportunity to run a snack bar on Herenstraat himself. He has since taken over Plein 10 and continues to build multiple businesses.

That background is reflected in his approach to entrepreneurship. Ron does not believe in quick tricks, but in delivering good work daily. Staying fresh, working hard, gathering good staff around you, and listening to what customers need.

Plein 10 is an establishment where quality and customer loyalty are central. According to Ron, delivery is about speed, delivering food warm, and resolving errors directly with the customer. It is precisely that direct contact that makes the difference. For him, an order is not just a transaction, but an opportunity to make someone return.

Increasing direct orders requires active management

Previously, orders more frequently arrived via external platforms. When Ron took over his father’s business, he tried to contact Take-Awy. That contact proved difficult. At one point, the business was even disconnected. Instead of waiting, Ron decided to take action himself.

He utilized social media more effectively, devised his own promotions, and actively directed customers to his own ordering website. That proved to be a turning point. Not because customers switched automatically, but because he gave them a reason to order directly from Plein 10.

According to Ron, there is an important lesson in that: you must know your neighborhood. Know what appeals to people, which promotions work, and how to bring customers back to your own channel in a natural way.

80 percent via the own website

Currently, approximately 80 percent of orders go through the own website. This gives Plein 10 more control over margins, customer contact, and promotions. Ron has to lean less on an external platform and can decide for himself how he reaches his customers.

With support from CashDesk, orders via the own website are processed and Plein 10 remains visible to the customer. The technology runs in the background, while the relationship between the business and the customer remains central.

For Ron, the financial advantage is clear, but his conviction goes further than just saving costs.

“Financially speaking, you can simply see that this works. You don’t want to work for someone else. If you work for Take-Awy, you aren’t really your own boss.”

Costs, personnel, and customer loyalty

Like many other entrepreneurs, Ron notices that costs continue to rise. Purchasing, personnel, and fixed overheads weigh on the margin. Increasing prices is not equally easy everywhere. It is more feasible at one location than at another.

Therefore, he looks closely at what he can influence himself. With multiple businesses, he tries to purchase smartly and make good agreements with suppliers. Sometimes those discussions take weeks, but they often yield results.

Personnel also play a major role. Ron takes good care of his team and considers the atmosphere important. He consults frequently with employees and adjusts the working method when necessary. A good team not only works better but also generates word-of-mouth advertising. People feel it when a business is running well.

The moral of the story

The story of Plein 10 shows that increasing orders via your own website does not happen automatically. An own ordering website is only valuable if you actively bring customers to that channel. That requires good promotions, visibility, trust, and an experience that is right from the moment someone orders.

For hospitality entrepreneurs, that is the core: a platform can provide reach, but it does not automatically build your customer relationship. Those who want to retain customers must remain visible themselves.

Conclusion

Plein 10 demonstrates that taking control begins with daily choices. By delivering quality, understanding the neighborhood, and actively directing customers to the own website, Ron has built an order flow that stays with his own business.

 

A few success stories:

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