Case Studies

Case Study: How Raffaele Increased Orders by 40% with Sigital

Learn how Raffaele transformed his restaurant's digital presence with Sigital, increasing direct orders by 40% and reducing marketplace dependency.

Sigital Team·March 14, 20268 min read

When Raffaele opened his restaurant, he did what most restaurateurs do: joined every delivery marketplace available, set up a basic Facebook page, and focused on what he does best — cooking exceptional food.

The food was great. The reviews were stellar. But after two years, something wasn't adding up. Revenue was growing, but profits weren't keeping pace. The culprit? A digital strategy that put middlemen between him and his customers.

This is the story of how Raffaele turned things around — increasing direct orders by 40%, cutting marketplace dependency by more than half, and building a customer database that now drives consistent, commission-free revenue.

The Restaurant

Raffaele runs a neighborhood restaurant in a mid-sized Italian city. The menu blends traditional Italian cuisine with creative touches — the kind of place that earns loyal regulars through quality and personality.

The restaurant seats 45 inside with a small outdoor terrace in summer. Delivery and takeaway make up roughly 35% of total revenue — a percentage that grew significantly during and after the pandemic.

The Challenge

By early 2025, Raffaele's delivery business was running almost entirely through Glovo and Deliveroo. The numbers looked like this:

• 400 delivery orders/month averaging €26 per order
• €10,400/month in gross delivery revenue
• 28% average commission paid to marketplaces
• €2,912/month going directly to platforms
• Zero customer email addresses collected
• No way to contact past delivery customers

Beyond the financial drain, Raffaele faced three specific problems:

Problem 1: He was invisible to his own customers. Regular diners who loved his food would order delivery through Glovo — and he'd pay a 28% commission on a customer who was already loyal. He had no way to redirect them.

Problem 2: Promotions were eating his margins. Marketplace "visibility" required participating in platform promotions — 20% discounts, free delivery events, sponsored listings. Each one cost money, and opting out meant being buried in search results.

Problem 3: He had no customer data. After two years of delivery, Raffaele had served thousands of customers but couldn't name a single one. No emails, no order history, no way to build a relationship beyond the next algorithm-driven order.

The Solution

In March 2025, Raffaele partnered with Sigital to build a direct digital channel. The implementation covered three core areas:

1. A Branded Website with Integrated Ordering

Sigital built Raffaele a professional restaurant website with online ordering built in. Customers could browse the full menu, customize orders, and pay — all on a site that looked and felt like Raffaele's restaurant, not a generic marketplace.

The site was optimized for mobile (where 78% of his orders originate) and included:

• Full interactive menu with photos and allergen info
• Online ordering with pickup and delivery options
• Secure payment processing
• Automatic order confirmation via SMS
• Google Business Profile integration

2. Customer Database and Marketing

Every order through the direct channel captured customer data — name, email, phone, order history. Within three months, Raffaele had a database of 600+ customers he could actually communicate with.

Sigital's automated marketing tools handled:

• Welcome emails for first-time customers
• Re-engagement messages for customers inactive for 21+ days
• Birthday offers
• New menu item announcements
• Weekly specials promotion

3. The Conversion Strategy

Getting the technology right was only half the battle. Raffaele needed to move existing marketplace customers to his direct channel. The strategy was simple but disciplined:

• Every marketplace order included a branded card: "Order direct at [website] — get 10% off your next order"
• Social media posts highlighted the direct ordering option weekly
• Google Business Profile was updated with a direct ordering link
• In-restaurant table cards promoted the website to dine-in customers
• QR codes on takeaway packaging linked directly to the ordering page

The Results

The transformation didn't happen overnight, but the trajectory was clear from month one. Here are the numbers after 9 months:

*Blended rate across direct (0%) and remaining marketplace orders (28%)

Financial Impact

Let's break down the annual financial difference:

Before (annualized):

• Delivery revenue: €124,800
• Marketplace commissions: -€34,944
• Net delivery revenue: €89,856

After (annualized, at current run rate):

• Delivery revenue: €174,720 (+40% orders, higher avg. value)
• Marketplace commissions: -€21,840 (only on remaining 250 marketplace orders)
• Sigital platform cost: -€588/year
• Net delivery revenue: €152,292

Annual improvement: +€62,436 in net delivery revenue.

That's not a theoretical number. It's the combination of more orders, higher average values, and dramatically lower commission costs.

Beyond the Numbers

The impact went beyond pure financials:

Brand ownership. Raffaele's customers now associate delivery with his restaurant, not with Glovo. His packaging, his website, his communications.

Customer relationships. With 1,200+ contacts in his database, Raffaele can launch a new menu item and have 300 people see it within hours — for free.

Predictability. Direct orders are more predictable than marketplace orders, which fluctuate based on algorithm changes and competitor promotions.

Staff satisfaction. The kitchen team appreciates the steadier order flow. Marketplace orders tend to cluster during promotions; direct orders spread more evenly.

What Raffaele Says

"For two years, I was building someone else's business. Every delivery customer belonged to Glovo, not to me. Now I know my customers by name — I know what they like, when they order, and I can talk to them directly. The financial savings are significant, but honestly, the biggest win is having control over my own business again. I wish I'd done this from day one."

— Raffaele, Owner

Key Takeaways

Raffaele's experience highlights several lessons applicable to any restaurant:

1. Marketplace dependency is expensive — not just in commissions, but in lost customer relationships and data.

2. Customers will switch to direct ordering if you make it easy and give them a small incentive. The 10% discount flyer paid for itself within the first month.

3. Direct customers are better customers. They spend more, return more often, and have a direct relationship with your brand.

4. The transition doesn't require quitting marketplaces. Raffaele still uses them for discovery. He just doesn't depend on them anymore.

5. Customer data is an asset that compounds over time. Every email address is a future order you don't have to pay commission on.

Could This Work for Your Restaurant?

Raffaele's situation isn't unique. If your restaurant:

• Pays 25%+ commission on delivery orders
• Has regular customers ordering through marketplaces
• Lacks a customer database
• Wants more control over the delivery experience

...then a similar strategy could deliver similar (or better) results.

The technology exists. The playbook is proven. The only variable is execution — and as Raffaele showed, it doesn't take a marketing degree. It takes a flyer in every bag and the discipline to promote your own channel.

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Want results like Raffaele's? Get started with Sigital and build your own direct ordering channel — zero commissions, full customer data, and complete control over your restaurant's digital presence.