Wonder Food Halls Reinvented Delivery – and Took Back 30% of Every Order

Wonder Food Halls didn’t just compete with delivery apps – they reinvented delivery. They took what others rented (the app, the kitchen, the driver) and made it their own. By going full-stack and building their own online ordering system, Wonder wiped out third-party fees and turned delivery into a loyalty engine. 

The result? Faster service, higher profits, and a surge in customer loyalty that left Uber Eats and DoorDash in the dust.

In this success story, we explore how Wonder, a $7B US-based food delivery startup, solved the big problems of traditional delivery apps (high commissions, lack of data, delivery hiccups, etc.) by creating their own commission-free delivery platform. 

If you’re an entrepreneur or restaurant operator looking for an Uber Eats alternative for restaurants, read on – Wonder’s journey offers a blueprint for taking control of your delivery and ordering experience.

The Big Problem: Delivery Apps Were Eating the Profits

Wonder Food Halls (founded by Marc Lore, former Walmart eCommerce CEO) operates a network of “food halls” across New York and New Jersey, combining multiple restaurant brands under one roof. Early on, Wonder faced the same pain points as any restaurant relying on third-party delivery apps:

• Punishing Commissions: Services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub charge anywhere from 15% to 30% commission on each order. That meant if Wonder sold a $50 meal through a delivery app, as much as $15 could vanish in fees. Those high commission fees were eating away at their margins – a recipe for failure in a low-margin industry.
  
  
• Extra Fees Frustrating Customers: Customers ordering through third-party apps often get hit with a $1.99+ delivery fee and a service fee around 10–15%. This not only makes the order more expensive (causing sticker shock at checkout), but it also reflects poorly on the restaurant. 
  • Wonder knew that many customers abandon orders when they see a pile of fees, meaning lost sales and unhappy diners. As one Wonder executive put it, “People are tired of paying fees across all of these marketplaces.”
    
    
• Zero Control Over Experience: By using external apps, Wonder had no ability to personalize the customer experience. The app’s interface, the delivery tracking, the communication – all of it was controlled by the third party. 
  • They couldn’t easily cross-sell their different food brands or ensure drivers represented their brand well. Essentially, the customer’s loyalty was to the delivery app, not to Wonder.
    
    
• Limited Data & Loyalty: When a delivery aggregator handles the order, the restaurant gets very little customer data. Wonder couldn’t see who its best customers were, what they ordered, or how to re-engage them. 
  • The valuable insights (emails, order history, feedback) stayed with Uber Eats or DoorDash. With loyalty programs owned by the apps, Wonder was “renting” its customer base instead of owning it – a dangerous position for a growth-focused business.
    
    
• Fragmented Operations & Slower Service: Relying on multiple third-party platforms created fragmented delivery operations. Orders from different Wonder brands would come in separately, each picked up by different drivers, causing inefficiencies. 
  • If a customer wanted dishes from two of Wonder’s restaurant concepts, there was no easy way to bundle that into one order on the apps – they’d have to place two separate orders (and pay two sets of fees!). This fragmentation meant slower overall delivery times and a less seamless experience. Disconnected kitchens, separate menus on each app, and third-party drivers juggling multiple app orders all contributed to slower, less reliable deliveries than Wonder wanted to offer.
    
    

The bottom line: Wonder was paying steep “digital rent” to delivery apps and sacrificing control over its own product. High fees were hurting profitability, and the lack of direct customer relationship meant they were growing someone else’s platform more than their own. To build a truly great customer experience (and a sustainable business), Wonder realized it needed a radical change.
 

Wonder’s Full-Stack Solution: Owning Every Step of Delivery

Instead of accepting the status quo, Wonder made a bold move – they built their own delivery and ordering tech stack from scratch. In other words, they ditched the third-party apps and took ownership of the entire process, from cooking the food to clicking “order” to dropping it at the customer’s door. This full-stack reinvention touched every part of their business:

• Their own kitchens and brands: Wonder operates its own network of food halls, featuring menus from top chefs and restaurant brands that they either created or partnered with exclusively. By vertically integrating kitchens, they ensured quality control and efficient prep for multiple cuisines in one location. (Previously, using third-party delivery for each brand would silo operations – now everything was under one roof, literally and figuratively.)
  
  
• A white-label ordering website & app: Wonder built a branded online ordering system (website and mobile app) where customers can browse all of Wonder’s food concepts in one place. This app is fully under Wonder’s control – from the design and menu layout to the checkout flow and branding. No more generic marketplace listing; it’s a Wonder-owned platform where they can offer curated experiences (think combo meals from different brands, special promotions, and a streamlined checkout with no surprise fees).
  
  
• Proprietary delivery network: Wonder created its own delivery fleet and logistics system. They hired and trained drivers (making many full-time employees) and equipped them with routing software and tracking tech. By taking out the middleman, Wonder could optimize routes, ensure drivers focus only on Wonder orders, and maintain higher service standards (drivers are essentially brand ambassadors now). The delivery logistics tech includes smart dispatching, route optimization, and real-time driver tracking – similar to what Uber’s tech does, but tailor-made for Wonder’s operations.
  
  
• Subscription model for customers: To flip the economics of delivery, Wonder introduced Wonder+, a $7.99/month subscription for customers. Members get $0 delivery fees and 0% service fees on their orders. This was huge – it eliminated the $1.99 delivery charge and the usual 12% service fee for those subscribers. 
  • Even non-subscribers benefited, as Wonder decided to drop the $1.99 delivery fee for all orders on their platform, making delivery essentially commission-free for customers. Instead of making money from fees, Wonder shifted the focus to volume and loyalty, using the subscription to encourage repeat orders.
    
    
• Unified multi-brand ordering: Wonder’s tech team developed a system to coordinate orders from multiple restaurant brands in a single ticket. For example, a customer can order a pizza from one of Wonder’s brands and sushi from another in one go. The system routes the order within the food hall so each kitchen prepares its part simultaneously, and the items are bundled into one delivery. 
  • This multi-brand order coordination is a game-changer – it boosts average order value and truly delivers on the “food hall” promise within an app. No third-party marketplace offers that kind of unified cart across restaurants.
    
    
• Full control of user experience: With its own app, Wonder controls every pixel the customer sees. They implemented real-time order tracking and status updates, so customers know exactly when their food is being prepared and when it’s en route (just like on the big apps, except here it’s Wonder-branded). 
  • They could design a smoother checkout (no more confusing fee breakdowns – just honest pricing), add upsell prompts for sides or drinks, and integrate loyalty rewards. If they want to A/B test a new feature or roll out a special promo, they can do it instantly without begging a third-party platform for placement. In short, owning the platform lets Wonder craft a superior customer experience end-to-end.
    
    
• Data and CRM integration: Now, when customers order through Wonder’s system, Wonder captures rich data: names, emails, favorite dishes, order frequency, etc. They integrated this data into a CRM and marketing automation setup. This means targeted email offers (“Hey John, it’s been a while since your last BBQ ribs order – here’s 10% off your next one!”), personalized in-app promos, and the ability to re-engage lapsed customers. 
  • Full data ownership transformed delivery from a one-off transaction into an ongoing relationship. Wonder essentially built a customer database that fuels a growth engine for repeat business.
    
    
• Better operational efficiency: Owning the stack also allowed Wonder to streamline operations. With their own delivery scheduling, they could batch orders intelligently and reduce wait times. Because each food hall hosts up to 20+ restaurant concepts, Wonder could ensure orders are delivered in around 30 minutes or less on average – even for multi-item, multi-brand meals. 
  • (Traditional delivery apps might take 45+ minutes, especially if a customer orders from different places sequentially.) This efficiency came from vertical integration: everything from cooking to driving was coordinated within one system.
    
    

“Wonder is a fully integrated app for dinner time.We own the marketplace, the restaurant, and the delivery,”

explained one company executive. In other words, Wonder built its own “super app” for food, much like Amazon created a one-stop shop for retail. By owning every step, Wonder could cut costs and innovate on experience in ways no third-party-dependent restaurant ever could.

Tech Highlights of Wonder’s In-House System

• Branded Ordering App & Website: A custom online ordering platform with Wonder’s branding and UX, where customers can order directly (no third-party needed).
  
  
• Integrated Delivery Logistics: In-house routing, dispatch, and driver tracking technology to manage their fleet efficiently and provide real-time delivery updates.
  
  
• Multi-Brand Ordering Coordination: Ability for customers to mix and match items from different restaurant brands in one order, with a system to synchronize preparation and delivery.
  
  
• Subscription & Loyalty Program: Wonder+ membership offering commission-free delivery (no fees) and other perks, boosting customer loyalty and repeat orders.
  
  
• Real-Time Order Tracking: Uber-like live tracking and status notifications, but within Wonder’s own app – increasing transparency and trust.
  
• CRM & Data Analytics: Complete ownership of customer data integrated into a CRM, enabling targeted marketing, personalized offers, and data-driven improvements to service.
  

The Payoff: Faster, Cheaper, Better – High ROI from Owning the Platform

Wonder’s decision to ditch the delivery apps and go full-stack paid off in a big way. Here are the standout results and ROI highlights from their transformation:

No More Delivery Fees (Customer Delight): By eliminating the $1.99 delivery charge (on every order) and waiving the 12% service fee for Wonder+ subscribers, Wonder immediately removed a major pain point for customers. For members, every order placed through Wonder feels like a deal – no extra fees tacked on. This made customers more likely to order more often (why not, when it’s fee-free?) and increased overall satisfaction. Wonder effectively turned “free delivery” into a competitive advantage that most independent restaurants can’t easily offer on third-party apps.


Higher Profit Margins per Order: Cutting out third-party commissions (which were as high as 25–30% on each sale) meant Wonder kept that money for itself. Even accounting for the cost of running its own delivery fleet, the economics improved drastically.

• Every order through Wonder’s own system is far more profitable than an order through an app. In fact, those commission dollars could be reinvested into better food, better tech, or passed on as savings to customers (as we saw with the fee elimination). The net effect is that margin per order jumped – turning delivery from a low-margin channel into a healthy one.

Faster Delivery Times: With a unified logistics network and food halls strategically located, Wonder optimized the journey from kitchen to customer. The average delivery time is around 30–35 minutes, even during busy dinner hours. That’s noticeably faster than the typical third-party delivery window.

• Quicker deliveries mean hotter, fresher food and happier customers. And because Wonder drivers handle only Wonder orders, there’s no multi-app juggling or circuitous routes – reliability went up. (As a bonus, faster turns per driver also improve operational efficiency and reduce labor cost per order.)

Increased Order Frequency & Loyalty: Wonder’s loyalty strategy began to bear fruit. Subscribers of Wonder+ tend to order more often to make the most of their membership. Even non-subscribers became more loyal to Wonder’s platform because of the superior experience and trust that they wouldn’t be hit with surprise fees. 

• By owning the customer relationship, Wonder was able to introduce things like personalized promotions, rewards for frequent orders, and consistent branding that builds an emotional connection. The result was a higher lifetime value (LTV) per customer – people who discovered Wonder stayed with Wonder, instead of bouncing to other apps.

Streamlined Checkout = Higher Conversions: The removal of friction in the checkout process (no more “service fee” line item appearing at the last step) likely reduced cart abandonment rates. Customers saw transparent pricing and a smooth, fast checkout on the Wonder app. This means a greater percentage of people who start an order actually finish it, boosting sales.

• What’s more, the ability to order a variety of cuisines together in one go increased average order sizes. Wonder essentially became a one-stop shop for dinner – which is exactly what busy families and groups crave.
  

Better Data = Better Marketing: With full data access, Wonder could analyze ordering patterns and feedback to continuously improve. They noticed which cuisines were hits in certain neighborhoods, what times had surges in orders, which promotions worked, etc. They used this data to drive smart decisions – like where to open the next food hall, which new menu to launch, and how to win back a dormant customer.

• This data-driven approach, only possible because they owned the ordering platform, created a cycle of improvement that spurred growth. Targeted email campaigns and push notifications brought customers back for more, effectively increasing customer retention at a fraction of the cost of generic advertising.
  

Competitive Moat: By offering a faster, cheaper (for customers), and more tailored service, Wonder set itself apart from other restaurants still on the apps. Local diners have plenty of options on Uber Eats, but Wonder gave them a reason to step outside those marketplaces and engage directly.

• This is a powerful long-term ROI: Wonder isn’t just saving on fees, it’s building a unique brand and ecosystem that’s hard for competitors to replicate without similar investment. In fact, Wonder’s success in doing this has attracted significant investor confidence (over $1.5B raised) – a testament that owning your delivery pipeline can unlock massive growth if executed well.
  
  

To summarize the impact, let’s compare “Before vs. After” Wonder’s switch to their own system:

In short, Wonder transformed delivery from a costly, outsider-controlled channel into a profitable, in-house strength. The moment they took control of their delivery and ordering, they turned what used to be a fee-laden process into a customer loyalty engine. Wonder now outperforms competitors by offering a faster, cheaper, and better experience that they fully control.

Key Takeaways: How You Can Apply Wonder’s Lessons

Wonder Food Halls’ success isn’t just a one-off story — it holds valuable lessons for any restaurant or marketplace operator looking to reclaim control. Here are some key takeaways to consider for your own business:

• Stop “Renting” Your Customers: Every time you rely solely on third-party apps, you’re essentially renting your customers and paying a hefty cut for the privilege. Wonder’s story shows the power of owning the relationship instead. By using your own online ordering system, you keep customer data in-house and build your own brand loyalty, not someone else’s.
  
  
• Cut the 30% Commission Drain: Third-party delivery commissions of 20-30% can wipe out your profits. Building an in-house ordering and delivery capability (or using a white-label platform) can drastically reduce these costs. 
  • It’s simple math: if you save 25% on each order, that’s money back in your pocket or savings you can pass to customers to boost volume. Commission-free delivery isn’t a pipe dream — it’s achievable with the right strategy, as Wonder proved.
    
    
• Own the Experience, Own the Loyalty: Wonder controlled everything from menu design to delivery route, which let them craft a superior customer experience. When you own the end-to-end experience, you can ensure quality at every touchpoint — and customers will notice. 
  • Whether it’s faster delivery, better packaging, or a smoother app interface, these improvements translate into happy customers who come back. Consistency and personalization are easier when you’re not at the mercy of an external app’s limitations.
    
    
• Leverage Subscriptions or Loyalty Programs: One genius move by Wonder was introducing a subscription model (Wonder+) to remove friction. Consider implementing a loyalty program or subscription for your business.
  • Even a simple rewards scheme (e.g. “every 10th order is free”) or a monthly membership for free delivery can nudge customers to order more often and stick with you instead of shopping around. Loyalty programs turn one-time buyers into regulars.
    
    
• Use Data to Drive Growth: Data is the secret sauce of modern business. When customers order directly from you, you gain insights that third-party platforms guard tightly. Use this data wisely: segment your customers, personalize your marketing (recommend items based on past orders), and identify trends (maybe your new vegan bowl is a hit in one zip code – time to double down). 
  • Wonder’s ability to re-engage users through targeted offers resulted from owning their data. No app will do that marketing for you – but with your own system, you have the data advantage.
    
    
• You Don’t Have to Be a Billion-Dollar Company: It’s easy to look at Wonder’s scale and think, “Well, they had huge funding.” But you don’t need to raise $600M to start taking control. Today, there are accessible restaurant delivery tech solutions that let you launch your own ordering site or app with minimal cost (think white-label platforms and services that set up an Uber Eats alternative for your restaurant). 
  • The key is to start small and keep building. Even offering online ordering for pickup, or hiring a dedicated driver for local deliveries, can begin to chip away at third-party dependence. The sooner you start cultivating direct customers, the sooner you start compounding the benefits we’ve discussed.
    
    

In essence, the lesson from Wonder Food Halls is that owning your delivery and ordering platform can transform your business. It might require upfront investment and a new way of thinking, but the payoff can be enormous in customer satisfaction, loyalty, and profitability.

Ready to Build Your Own Growth Engine?

Wonder’s success is part of a larger trend: the smartest businesses are ditching delivery apps and building their own growth engines. They’re taking back control of their customer experience and finances – and you can do the same. The question is, will you be one of them?

Ready to take control of your delivery destiny? Here are a few ways to get started with us:

• Try our platform – Get hands-on with a commission-free online ordering system that you can make your own.
  
  
• Book a demo – Schedule a personalized walkthrough and see how you can build your own ordering and delivery platform, no coding required.
  
  
• Download our free eBook – Grab our guide on How to Build Your Own Ordering Platform, packed with tips, frameworks, and step-by-step advice to launch your solution.
  
  
• Explore more success stories – Check out how other forward-thinking businesses like Wonder made the switch and reaped the rewards.
  
  
  Don’t let third-party apps eat your lunch (and profits) any longer. Take the leap to own your ordering experience – your customers and your bottom line will thank you. Here’s to building your own growth engine!