With 84% of orders coming through its own channels, Central Kitchen maintains control over costs and customer relationships.

In a delivery market where platform commissions continue to rise structurally, Central Kitchen in Deventer demonstrates that there is another way. By organizing the ordering process themselves from the start and consistently focusing on their own channel, 84 percent of all orders now come in via their own website and takeout. The share of Take-Awy has been reduced to approximately sixteen percent. This ratio is not a coincidence, but the result of a clear strategy that has proven itself in practice.

Also, read these customers’ success stories: Pizzeria Luigi maintains control: 60 percent of orders via its own website and AnyTyme Asten obtains 70% of its orders via its own website

Central Kitchen was founded ten years ago by Melvin and his brother. What started as a dark kitchen, fully focused on delivery, grew into a professional delivery restaurant with a permanent team and stable turnover. One principle has always been central: the ordering process must remain clear, manageable, and scalable. For all these years, CashDesk has been the solid backbone for cash register, orders, and online orders.

Platforms were used for extra visibility, but never as the leading channel. “You want to decide for yourself what you do with prices, promotions, and your customers,” says Melvin. “That is only possible if the majority of your turnover comes through your own channel. CashDesk made that possible from day one.”

Own channel as a proven tool

To structurally move customers to their own website, Central Kitchen consciously chooses fixed promotions that are exclusively available via their own channel. The Friday promotion – where customers receive an extra product with an online order – has been running for years and has permanently changed ordering behavior. On Fridays, hardly any volume comes in via platforms anymore.

Wednesday was also purposefully set up as a promotion day. With a fixed poké promotion, a traditionally quiet day grew into one of the busiest moments of the week, with an average of 90 to 110 orders and regular peaks above that. According to Melvin, the success lies in repetition and simplicity: customers know exactly when and where to order.

One system, peace in the operation

The strength behind this approach lies not only in marketing but especially in the technical simplicity. By managing everything from one system, the operation remains manageable, even during peak moments. Products, prices, promotions, and photos are centrally controlled via CashDesk, without double entry or separate platform management.

“That makes a huge difference,” says Melvin. “You don’t have to think about where something needs to be adjusted. Everything runs via one cash register and one online environment. This allows you to maintain overview and speed.”

Central Kitchen has recently started working with the renewed CashDesk system. Customer reactions to the new website are positive, especially regarding ease of use and appearance. For the team on the floor, it mainly means peace: the technology supports the process, instead of creating extra actions.

Growth without platform dependency

During the corona period, Central Kitchen moved to a larger building. An exciting moment, but it turned out well. Turnover doubled and remained stable even after the pandemic. This growth is not the result of aggressive platform campaigns, but of years of consistent choices in channel strategy, operation, and quality.

New concepts are deliberately positioned separately. A poké bowl bar is given room to grow, while sushi remains tightly organized. Scaling up only happens if it remains manageable within the existing system.

Example for the sector

Central Kitchen’s approach fits within a broader movement in the catering industry. More and more entrepreneurs are using platforms selectively and consciously investing in their own ordering channels, customer data, and fixed action patterns. Not to completely exclude platforms, but to structurally limit dependency.

CashDesk plays a facilitating role in this: systems that run in the background, so that entrepreneurs themselves retain control over prices, customer relationships, and daily operations.

Conclusion

Central Kitchen shows that having control over your own ordering process is no coincidence, but the result of thoughtful choices and the right systems. With 84 percent of orders coming through its own channels, the company proves that control, growth, and peace in the operation can go hand in hand.

Whoever maintains control over their orders, maintains control over their company.