Google My Business is letting restaurant listings remove links to online ordering.
The ability to opt out of online ordering was spotted by Joy Hawkins who shared the information in a thread on her Local Search Forum.
In order to remove links to third-party ordering systems, businesses have to fill out a form which can be accessed here.
The only information that needs to be provided in the form is your name, email address, and food ordering partner. If you submit the form while signed in with the account used to manage your restaurant listing, then Google will have all the information it needs.
You don’t even have to prodivde a reason for why you want to opt-out. Although that raises the question of why would a restaurant listing want to remove links to online ordering?
Why Would a Restaurant Listing Want to Opt Out of Online Orders?
Google’s new form gives restaurants the ability to remove links to online ordering via third-party partners. A restaurant might want to do this if they accept orders directly through their website.
Third-party ordering systems – such as DoorDash, Postmates, and the like – charge fees to restaurants for utilizing their service.
In theory, if a restaurant removes links to third-party food delivery partners, then they could funnel more orders through their website and pay out less money in fees.
Of course, many restaurants rely on third-parties as their only means of fulfilling delivery orders.
In cases such as those it likely wouldn’t be in the restaurant’s best interest to opt-out of displaying online ordering links on their Google My Business listing. Though they still could if they want to.