ezCater alternative: why FlashCater is the smart choice for your restaurant

A detailed look at why FlashCater offers a superior, commission-free alternative for growing your catering business.

Your Restaurant Deserves Better Than Commission Fees

As a restaurant owner, every dollar counts. You've worked hard to build your business, create amazing food, and attract loyal customers. So why should a catering platform take a huge bite out of your hard-earned profits?

While ezCater is well-known, their commission-based model means they profit more as your business grows. FlashCater flips this outdated approach on its head with a restaurant-first platform that keeps your profits where they belong—in your pocket.

See how FlashCater can help you grow your catering business while maintaining complete control over your menu, pricing, customer relationships, and—most importantly—your profits.

Detailed Comparison: FlashCater vs. ezCater

Website Link Fee

FlashCater

FlashCater provides you with your own branded ordering website with zero commissions. When customers order through your website, you keep 100% of the revenue—as it should be. Your website, your customers, your money.

ezCater

ezCater charges a 7% commission just for taking orders that come from a link on your own website. Even when customers find you directly through your restaurant's website, ezCater still takes a significant cut of every order.

Key Takeaway: Why pay 7% to ezCater for orders that come from your own website when FlashCater lets you keep every dollar?

1. Cost & Fees

FlashCater

FlashCater is a flat $79/month per location—zero commissions, zero hidden fees. You keep 100% of what customers pay you, so your profit scales directly with your sales, instead of disappearing into marketplace cuts.

ezCater

ezCater charges a 15% commission on every accepted order plus a ~2.99% payment-processing fee. There are no setup or monthly fees, but every sale you take through their platform gets shaved by these percentages.

Key Takeaway: If you're doing more than about $400/month in catering revenue, FlashCater immediately saves you money—and every dollar above that is pure incremental profit.

2. Data Ownership & Customer Relationships

FlashCater

FlashCater gives you full ownership of your customer database. Built-in CRM tools let you track preferences, segment order histories, and send personalized email campaigns—so you're building loyalty on your terms, not theirs.

ezCater

ezCater owns the guest data and controls re-marketing. You see order histories in ezManage, but you can't message those customers directly outside their system—and you compete against dozens of neighbors on their marketplace.

3. Branding & Menu Control

FlashCater

FlashCater is your own branded ordering website. You decide pricing, menu presentation, and up-charge logic (e.g. special instructions, gluten-free fees)—and updates go live instantly via our intuitive dashboard.

ezCater

ezCater enforces price-matching rules (you must offer your lowest publicly listed price) and handles menu updates via support tickets—sometimes incurring order rejections or penalties if something slips.

4. Marketing & Growth Automation

FlashCater

FlashCater includes:

  • Automated Re-order Emails that prompt your best customers exactly when they're due to reorder.
  • Loyalty Rewards baked in, so guests earn points (and come back) without extra setup.
  • Built-in Marketing Engine—email templates, A/B tools, reminders—at no extra cost.

ezCater

ezCater's optional "Preferred Partner" or ezRewards programs let you pay more commission for better placement—but you still pay on every order, and there's no built-in way to automatically re-engage past customers.

5. Operational Management & Dispatch

FlashCater

FlashCater provides a unified dashboard—orders, customer CRM, marketing analytics, and delivery management (including Uber integration)—all under one roof, for one flat fee.

ezCater

ezManage centralizes order acceptance, dispatch requests, and performance metrics in one portal—but it doesn't include marketing, loyalty, or direct-to-guest messaging. And you still pay commissions on every order you handle.

6. Delivery Flexibility

FlashCater

FlashCater lets you choose:

  • In-house delivery when you want full control over timing and service level.
  • Third-party integration (Uber built-in) for scalable, on-demand drop-offs—again, at no per-order commission.

ezCater

With ezCater's ezDispatch, you pay a 10% delivery-subsidy fee (min $30), offset by customer delivery fees. Drivers keep tips but you're still hit by their cut.

7. Transparent, Predictable Pricing

FlashCater

FlashCater is $79/location—no surprises, no per-order add-ons, just one predictable line item.

ezCater

ezCater fees vary by order size, delivery zone, and optional marketing tiers—you never know exactly what your net take will be until the bill arrives.

Why FlashCater Wins for Restaurants

Keep 100% of your revenue with zero commissions.

Own your guests—data, branding, and loyalty programs live in your control.

Automate growth with built-in re-orders and rewards (no extra spend).

Scale delivery on your terms—use your team or third-party drives.

Budget confidently on one flat monthly fee, not shifting percentage cuts.

By turning the traditional marketplace model on its head, FlashCater empowers restaurants to grow their catering business—without guarding their margins or losing direct touch with their best customers.

Related Resources

Tired of the back-and-forth? Let us show you a better way.

15-minute call. We'll build a mock-up with your actual menu. You'll see:

  • What your ordering page would look like — with your branding and menu
  • How orders, calendar, emails, and delivery work from one dashboard
  • How it works across multiple locations (if that applies to you)

We'll reach out to confirm your demo time.