🚚 The Struggle Is Real — Delivery Fees Are Eating Your Lunch
If you’re running a food stall in London, you already know the hustle. Early starts, long queues, and that familiar smell of sizzling success. But then… here comes the sting — UberEats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat want their cut.
- 🚚 The Struggle Is Real — Delivery Fees Are Eating Your Lunch
- 💸 What the Big Platforms Don’t Tell You
- 🌯 The Independent Revolution — Trading on Your Own Terms
- 📱 What Going Independent Looks Like
- 🧠 But Wait — Isn’t Building an App Expensive?
- 🔥 The Power of Owning Your Brand
- 🌍 Real Talk: The London Market Scene Is Changing
- 💬 What Vendors Are Saying
- 🚀 Ready to Go Independent?
- 🌌 Final Bite: Don’t Let Platforms Eat Your Profits
And not just a little cut — we’re talking up to 35% of every single order.
Imagine this:
You sell £10 worth of loaded fries or bao buns. By the time the delivery platform takes its slice, you’re left with about £6.50 — and that’s before ingredients, gas, and staff.
That’s not partnership. That’s daylight robbery with a fancy app.
💸 What the Big Platforms Don’t Tell You
UberEats and Deliveroo are brilliant at one thing: making it feel like you need them.
They’ll promise exposure, extra customers, and “logistics support” — but the reality for most independent traders is brutal.
Here’s the breakdown of what they don’t mention upfront:
- 30–35% commission per order (and sometimes more during peak hours)
- Monthly subscription or service fees on top
- Lower brand visibility — customers remember UberEats, not your stall
- No access to your customer data — so you can’t even re-market to your fans
So you end up working for their platform, not on your business.
It’s a modern kind of middleman, wrapped in a sleek UI.
🌯 The Independent Revolution — Trading on Your Own Terms
Across London markets — from Brick Lane to Borough Market, Shoreditch Boxpark to Camden Lock — a quiet rebellion is happening.
Street food vendors are ditching delivery platforms and going solo.
They’re launching their own ordering apps, building direct relationships with customers, and — best of all — keeping 100% of every sale.
That’s where Node Dawn comes in.
We’re helping London’s food traders build custom mobile apps — not just a menu page, but a full digital platform that handles:
- Online orders for pickup or delivery
- Integrated card payments via Stripe
- Loyalty programs and rewards
- Push notifications for returning customers
- Real-time updates on stall locations
So next time you’re set up at Spitalfields or a pop-up in Hackney, customers can order straight from your app — no middlemen, no commission.
📱 What Going Independent Looks Like
Let’s paint a picture.
You’ve got your stall — your brand, your flavours, your loyal crowd.
Now imagine this:
Your customers download your app, built by Node Dawn, with your logo and colours splashed across it.
They can:
- Browse your menu
- See today’s specials
- Place an order for pickup
- Save their favourite dishes
- Get notifications when you’re nearby
You get:
- A steady stream of direct orders
- Lower transaction costs
- Repeat customers who actually remember your name
- A professional, modern presence that rivals big brands
It’s not just about saving on commission — it’s about building your own digital stall.
🧠 But Wait — Isn’t Building an App Expensive?
It used to be.
Back in the day, getting your own app meant hiring developers for months and dropping £10k+ before seeing a single order.
But Node Dawn’s mission has always been simple:
Make digital tech accessible for small traders.
We design and develop affordable street food apps using the same technology that powers global brands — built on Flutter, connected to WordPress or custom dashboards, and completely yours once launched.
No subscriptions. No hidden platform cuts.
You pay to launch, and you own it — forever.
🔥 The Power of Owning Your Brand
When you trade through UberEats or Deliveroo, your customers belong to them.
When you trade through your own app, your customers belong to you.
You control the experience:
- Want to offer a “10% off Friday special”? Do it.
- Want to highlight your new menu item? Push a notification.
- Want to add a loyalty program? Add it.
And because it’s your app, you can grow it however you like — maybe even add a merch store, or start taking event bookings later.
Owning your app = owning your data, your audience, and your future.
🌍 Real Talk: The London Market Scene Is Changing
Street food in London isn’t what it was five years ago.
Markets are buzzing, yes — but customers expect more convenience now. They want to order ahead, skip the queue, and get digital receipts.
Even local councils and events are pushing for cashless, mobile-first systems.
So traders that go digital early are the ones who’ll thrive.
We’ve seen it with our clients already — some went from 50 orders a weekend to 200+ weekly just by adding mobile ordering. That’s the power of owning your digital space.
💬 What Vendors Are Saying
“As a start up, we can’t afford to pay extra fees for UberEats and Deliveroo..Node Dawn helped us set up our own ordering app, and now customers just scan a QR and order direct. We’ve saved hundreds a month.”
— Edwin, Kalye De Manila, Brick Lane
🚀 Ready to Go Independent?
If you’re serious about keeping your hard-earned profit and building something that lasts — now’s the time to go independent.
At Node Dawn, we make it easy:
- We design your branded app (Android + iOS)
- We connect it to your current setup
- We help you promote it to your customers
- You take back control — no more commissions
💡 From market stall to mobile empire — you can own the platform, not rent it.
🌌 Final Bite: Don’t Let Platforms Eat Your Profits
UberEats and Deliveroo had their moment. They helped customers discover street food — but now it’s time for traders to take the next step.
Your food is local.
Your story is authentic.
Your customers are loyal.
So why share your profits with someone who’s never stood in the cold flipping burgers at 8 AM?
Go independent. Go mobile. Go with Node Dawn.